ALEXIS AUBIN / AFP
Denis Villeneuve will direct a third “Dune” but probably not a “Star Wars”.
CINEMA – A disappointment with serious consequences. Denis Villeneuve is undoubtedly one of the most important science fiction directors in Hollywood, as evidenced in particular by the success of his adaptations of Dune at the cinema. Therefore, it seems obvious to think of him for the direction of a future film Star Wars. But the franchise has not been a dream of the filmmaker for a long time.
Denis Villeneuve was 10 years old when he discovered Star Wars (1977) at the cinema. He then became ” obsessed “ by Star Wars. A fascination which was reinforced when episode V was released in cinemas.
“The Empire Strikes Back is the film I have waited for the most in my life. I've seen it a billion times in the cinema », Reveals the director in the podcast The Town, dont Variety reports the content. “I was traumatized by The Empire Strikes Back. I love Star Wars »he adds.
But a very specific event came to break the emotional bond between the filmmaker and George Lucas' science fiction saga. This is the appearance of the Ewoks in Episode VI, these adorable forest creatures similar to humanoid teddy bears.
Lucasfilm
Denis Villeneuve prefers Paul Atréides to the ewoks from “Return of the Jedi”.
“The problem is that everything went off the rails in 1983 with Return of the Jedi”explains Denis Villeneuve. At 15, he and his best friend even wanted to take a taxi to Los Angeles to tell George Lucas the truth. “ We were so angry! “, he remembers. More than 40 years later, the director of Premier Contact still does not seem to have digested their presence, considering The Jedi Return like a “children’s comedy”.
Denis Villeneuve does not “dream” of making a Star Wars
If the production company Lucasfilm and screenwriter Simon Kinberg have already reached an agreement for a new Star Wars trilogy, the filmmaker behind the saga Dune will therefore definitely not be there.
The latter explains that after the first trilogy, the feature films that followed continued to disappoint him: “Star Wars crystallized into its own mythology, very dogmatic, it looked like a recipe, no more surprises.”
Directing a film from the most famous science fiction franchise in cinema is therefore not on his agenda. “ So I don't dream of making a Star Wars movie because I have the impression that everything is very codified.” he concludes.
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