Dune director Denis Villeneuve explains why he’ll stick to making movies for now. Villeneuve got his start making short films and made his feature debut at the Cannes Film Festival in 1998. Since then, the Blade Runner 2049 director rose to fame through a series of critically acclaimed films, including the 2010 drama Incendies, 2013’s Prisoners starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal, and the Oscar-nominated Arrival in 2016.
Villeneuve explained to Vanity Fair in an interview why he would likely not make any television series in his career. The director admitted that he “love[s] to love it,” but he’s “not inspired” by the form. Instead, he prefers the structure of movies. Check out what he said below:
I love to love it, but I am not inspired by the long form. I love the economy of time of a feature film. There’s something more contained that I prefer.
Villeneuve Isn’t Going To Be Involved In Dune TV Shows
Villeneuve originally signed on to direct Dune: Prophecy‘s pilot and was expected to be a part of the show’s creative team. However, he made a choice to focus on the Dune sequel, which released earlier this year, and the upcoming third installment in the sci-fi movie series. Despite the Emily Watson-led prequel series taking place in the same universe as the Villeneuve movies, the Canadian filmmaker isn’t involved in the making of Dune: Prophecy beyond his brief involvement early on.
Villeneuve’s comments shed more light on his decision not to take part in Dune: Prophecy. It also means that Villeneuve will likely not be involved with the franchise’s television branch, should it continue to grow beyond Prophecy. The prequel show is not the only TV project he has stepped away from, as the director also dropped out of the Jake Gyllenhaal-led HBO miniseries The Son due to creative differences. With the director distancing himself from the television format, Villeneuve is on a path to making more movies that suit his preferred storytelling form.
Our Take On Denis Villeneuve’s Decision Not To Make TV Shows
Villeneuve Is Making A Lot Of Films
Villeneuve not getting into bed with television only means that the director is dedicating his undivided attention to making more movies. He is currently working on a handful of films ranging from science fiction to historical drama. Aside from the upcoming Dune: Messiah, Villeneuve is also working on a sci-fi adaptation of Rendezvous with Rama, a historical drama titled Cleopatra, and Nuclear War: A Scenario. All the projects are currently in development.
Not making TV shows is a career-defining choice, but it seems that the Dune director did make his decision from a place of knowing his strength. He knows the stories he prefers to tell, and is making the conscious decision to put all his effort toward them. Moviegoers will definitely be happy with the news, as his projects tend to be thrilling theatrical experiences. On the other hand, preferences and opinions are subjected to change. It’d be interesting to see what Villeneuve would do with a longer form.
Source: Vanity Fair
Denis Villeneuve
Discover the latest news and filmography for Denis Villeneuve, known for Blade Runner 2049 and Dune.
- Birthdate
-
October 3, 1967
- Birthplace
-
Trois-Rivières, Quebec, Canada
- Professions
-
Director
, Screenwriter
, Film Producer
