Denis Villeneuve Latest Celebrity News & Gossip

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter “Dune: Part Two” is turbocharging the international box office. Director Denis Villeneuve’s otherworldly sequel has generated $97 million from 71 overseas markets, bringing its global tally to a promising $178.5 million. Those worldwide revenues include $81.5 million from North American theaters, where it landed the biggest domestic opening weekend of the year.

Leo Barraclough International Features Editor Fantasporto, the Oporto Intl. Film Festival, kicked off Friday in Portugal’s Porto — city famed for its elegant Romanesque cathedral, a bookstore that inspired “Harry Potter,” and the heady alcoholic drink — with an eclectic mix of titles but an emphasis on fantasy films. Typifying the broad tastes of the festival chiefs, film critics Beatriz Pacheco Pereira and Mário Dorminsky, Canadian filmmaker Denys Arcand’s satire “Testament” opened the event’s 44th edition at Batalha Centro de Cinema, and Chinese fantasy epic “Creation of Gods I: Kingdom of Storms,” directed by Wuershan, closes it.

Clayton Davis Senior Awards Editor In a stunning cinematic universe where sand dunes rise like mountains and the fate of galaxies hangs in the balance, Denis Villeneuve‘s first voyage into the Frank Herbert’s “Dune” saga clinched six of its 10 Oscar nominations. Yet, in a twist as dramatic as Dr.

Diego Ramos Bechara editor Riding a sandworm across the desert planet of Arrakis is something most “Dune” fans have undoubtedly wanted to do at one point or another, but it begs the question: how would one actually get off the giant annelids? Well, “Dune: Part Two” director Denis Villeneuve seems to have an answer, telling IndieWire as such in an interview centered on the sequel. “Dune’s” lore established that the Fremen — a fiercely independent group of desert warriors — can ride the worms, controlling and using them in battle or as transportation across a vast terrain, with entire villages riding on their capacious backs. However, we never actually see anyone get off the worms.

Jazz Tangcay Artisans Editor It took a village of Denis Villeneuve‘s most trusted artisans to pull off “Dune: Part Two’s” epic Harkonnen arena fight scene. As epic as its predecessor, Villeneuve’s sequel raises the bar with striking visuals. None is more jaw-dropping than Feyd-Rautha’s (Austin Butler) celebration sequence.

J. Kim Murphy It’s a “Dune” boon for the box office. “Dune: Part Two” touched down with an impressive $32.1 million gross on opening day from 4,071 locations, a figure that also includes $12 million from Thursday evening and earlier event preview screenings.

When movies come out, we grade them with reviews, define them by box office returns or eyeballs on streaming services, and maybe trophies down the line. But every successful, ambitious film starts with a dream, followed by compromise and adversity. Deadline offers the occasional peek into the creative aspirations, and the sweat and blood that propels ambitious films.

Denis Villeneuve is finally back with the release of Dune: Part Two!

Jordan Moreau SPOILER ALERT: This contains major spoilers for the ending of “Dune: Part Two,” now playing in theaters. Readers of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel “Dune” have known the plot of the sci-fi epic for years, but fans who have only watched Denis Villeneuve’s films may have some questions about the ending of “Dune: Part Two” and the future of the series. Young protagonist Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) undergoes a drastic transformation by the end of “Dune: Part Two” and becomes the new Emperor of the Known Universe. His conquest is made possible by leading the native, blue-eyed Fremen people, who believe Paul and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) are a prophesied mother and son who will bring peace to their planet Arrakis.

Ethan Shanfeld “I have a story for you. You might kill me.” These are words no writer wants to hear from their editor, and yet on Thursday at 3:04 p.m. they came ringing in my ear like a death knell.

Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet have opened up about their obsessions with Radiohead and The Beatles.The two Dune co-stars sat down with NME to discuss Dune: Part 2. The actors were asked if there were any current albums that they were currently obsessed with at the moment to which Butler replied with Radiohead’s ‘In Rainbows’ and Chalamet with The Beatles’ 2023 reissue of the ‘Blue’ album.“It’s an old faithful that I have listened to more than any other album. But ‘In Rainbows’ by Radiohead.

FRIDAY UPDATE: Dune: Part Two added 42 international box office markets on Thursday, taking the offshore cume on the Denis Villeneuve-directed sequel to $20.8M in a total 55. This includes two full-days of play and previews in those markets.

Many questions abound with “Dune: Part Two” now in theaters.

Dune: Part Two just hit theaters, but fans are already setting their sights on the future of the franchise.

UPDATED FRIDAY AM, POST EXCLUSIVE: Legendary/Warner Bros Dune Part Two has now grown to $12M+ per Warners. That’s from 4,500 locations, and Imax alone delivered $4.5M of that number or 38%. Of that preview figure, $2M came from an Imax fan screening on Feb. 25. Audience reactions have hit Rotten Tomatoes and they’re at 95%, which is great. Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune saw 83% certified fresh from RT critics and 90% from RT audiences.

Denis Villeneuve’s stunningly realized film adaptations of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi saga Dune take an epic leap forward in Dune: Part Two, the sequel to the Oscar-winning first film starring Timothée Chalamet as possible Chosen One, Paul Atreides.Last seen at the end of Dune trekking into the desert like a twink Lawrence of Arabia, Paul is still a refugee on the desert planet Arrakis. Following the massacre of his father and the House of Atreides by savage Harkonnen forces, he’s hiding among the native Fremen, plotting to avenge his House, while also evading death or capture by his clan’s universe of enemies, including ruler of all, Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken).The first film felt mostly like a long-winded setup for a protagonist who took little action.

Jordan Moreau It’s finally time to return to Arrakis. Denis Villeneuve‘s “Dune: Part Two” has arrived, making a mighty $12 million in previews at the box office from more than 3,400 theaters. Big-screen Imax showings made up $4.5 million of that huge haul.

Dune: Part Two adapts the second half of Frank Herbert’s original 1965 novel, but the film makes some key changes from the book.Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the sequel to 2021’s Dune picks up as Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) unites with the Fremen people on Arrakis to wage war against House Harkonnen.Along with Chalamet, Dune: Part Two stars Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh.After being accepted as the Lisan al Gaib (an off-world prophet or messiah) of the Fremen, Paul Atreides leads them on an attack against Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and House Harkonnen. Through the Fremen’s faith in Paul, and by riding the sandworms, they manage to invade the capital city, Arrakeen.To avenge his father’s death, Paul kills Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård).

EXCLUSIVE: Welcome back to the cinema, everyone.

Dune: Part Two may have wrapped up events of Frank Herbert’s original novel, but there’s still plenty of material for more potential sequels.Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the sequel to 2021’s Dune picks up as Paul Atreides unites with the Fremen people on Arrakis to wage war against House Harkonnen.Along with Timothée Chalamet, Dune: Part Two stars Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh.The sequel adapts the second half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, which has been adapted for the screen several times over the years.At the time of writing (March 2024), a sequel has not been officially announced. Judging by how successful both entries have been at the box office, however, it’s certainly likely that Warner Bros.

Hans Zimmer continued to write more music for the sci-fi epic. He was told to stop, but Zimmer insisted he would carry on, so much so that director Denis Villeneuve would joke that the composer was locked in the studio. Except it wasn’t completely a joke.

In a new GQ “Breaks Down His Most Iconic Characters” video piece, actor Josh Brolin reveals that when director Denis Villeneuve wanted him for a part in “Dune” and offered to send the script, Brolin immediately said, “No need.” As in, having worked with him already, he was taking the part without having to read a word. “I had a feeling first of all, and it was Denis, second,” Brolin explained about why he gave an immediate yes.

Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” opens this Friday, March 1, and returning for the film as the Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica and Paul Atreides’ mother is actress Rebecca Ferguson, known for the “Mission Impossible” franchise (read our review). As I noted earlier this week, Ferguson can be a mercurial interview; she’s spirited, unconventional, can turn on a dime, and doesn’t suffer fools gladly.

Following ecstatic reviews (including ours) and a super impressive Rotten review score of 97, Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” seems poised to not only conquer the sagging 2024 box office but enliven it, perhaps giving it the shot in the arm it needs. READ MORE: ‘Dune: Part Two’ Review: A Darker, Devastating Blockbuster & Cautionary Tale About Prophecy, Fate & False Idols It’s a colossal film and an immense achievement, but a much darker film, and clearly much darker than I expected (full disclosure: I started reading, but put down Frank Herbert‘s “Dune” before the first film came out; more below).

Rebecca Rubin Film and Media Reporter Ticket sales at the box office this weekend will be flowing as freely as spice on the desert planet of Arrakis. Director Denis Villeneuve‘s big-budget sequel “Dune: Part Two,” where “spice” is an all-powerful commodity, is targeting $70 million to $80 million in its opening weekend. Warner Bros., the studio behind the sci-fi epic, is conservatively projecting a $65 million start, though most box office prognosticators believe that revenues could near the $90 million mark.

Sting still owns the famous codpiece that he wore in David Lynch’s 1984 film version of Dune.The musician played the role of Feyd-Rautha in the film – the nephew of and heir to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Kenneth McMillan). In one memorable scene in the film, Sting is naked, apart from a bright blue winged codpiece.Now, Austin Butler, who plays the same character in the second part of Denis Villeneuve’s new film adaptation of Dune, has revealed that Sting told him personally that he still owns the legendary item of clothing.“Sting obviously played the part in David Lynch’s [version],” Butler said during an appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon this week.

We’ve been waiting for this one for quite some time.

As her many online fans have noticed, Rebecca Ferguson is playful, eccentric, sometimes very candid, can turn on a dime, and does not suffer fools. Interviewing her can be like riding a wild bull, a bit unpredictable and disarming, and I found that to be very much the case with my latest interview with her about “Dune: Part Two” (read our review here).

Sometimes, a filmmaker makes a comment in the home stretch of promotion for their film that either blows up the marketing plan or irritates the rank and file of cineastes. And just as “Dune: Part Two” is about to hit theaters (read our review), director Denis Villeneuve seems to have made provocative comments in a recent interview that have kind of blown up the internet.

Zendaya had to abruptly cancel a “Good Morning America” appearance last-minute — due to losing her voice.Despite the hiccup, the actress sent in an apology video to the ABC morning show to detail her condition.“Hello, GMA,” the “Euphoria” star, 27, said in a raspy whisper. “I’m so sorry that I can’t be there — I’ve come down with something and I’ve completely lost my voice.”She added: “But I hope you guys have a beautiful morning, and I hope you enjoy Dune: Part Two.”“How sweet is @zendaya to send us this video?” the GMA Instagram account wrote alongside the clip.

Michaela Zee When “Dune: Part Two” star Stellan Skarsgård saw Austin Butler as the cruel and sadistic Feyd-Rautha for the first time, he laughed. “I laughed so much because it was so obvious that he really enjoyed being evil,” Skarsgård told Variety at the “Dune: Part Two” premiere Sunday night in New York City. Butler’s Feyd-Rautha is the younger nephew and heir of Skarsgård’s Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who originally appeared in Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 sci-fi epic “Dune.” Butler studied Skarsgård’s voice performance in the first chapter to bring his version of Feyd-Rautha to life.

Denis Villeneuve is sharing his opinions on television and movies.

When Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer” took the Ensemble in a Motion Picture honor at the 2024 SAG Awards Saturday night, one member of the cast was conspicuously missing. It turned out Florence Pugh, who played the pivotal role of Jean Tatlock, wasn’t in attendance.

Denis Villeneuve is a credited screenwriter on six of the acclaimed features he has directed — including Dune: Part One, for which he received a Best Adapted Screenplay nomination from the Academy but not directing nomination. He is, however, not a fan of dialogue.

“Dune: Part Two” is almost in theaters, reviews have been ecstatic, and hype for the Denis Villeneuve film seems to be off the charts; it’s expected to be the first major blockbuster theatrical release of the year when it opens this weekend, March 1 (read our review here). We spoke to Rebecca Ferguson about her role as Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica in the movie, and while we’ll roll out that full interview ASAP, we did it briefly; at the end of our interview, I asked about her role in “Mission Impossible: Dead Reckoning.” READ MORE: Christopher McQuarrie Explains The “Tough Decision” Of Killing A Key Character in ‘Dead Reckoning’ Spoilers for anyone who hasn’t seen the film, but it’s almost eight months old at this point; Ferguson’s character, Ilsa Faust, a disavowed MI6 agent, is killed at the hands of the powerful terrorist Gabriel (Esai Morales) in a knife fight.

As Timothée Chalamet’s “Wonka” has quietly crossed the $600 million mark worldwide—a remarkable figure given the film wasn’t a box office smash but clearly had great sustained longevity theatrically—the actor is starring down his next lead role in Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” (read our review) It’s a film whose hype is so large at the moment it suggests it could best that “Wonka” record, but we’ll see if it has the same kind of four-quadrant appeal.