Denis Villeneuve On Why Dune Will Be Split Into Two Films, Says It’s His Toughest Project Yet

Denis Villeneuve has provided some new details on the upcoming Dune, including why it will be split into two films. The director spoke with Vanity Fair and in the the second part of the feature on the film, explained why the story is being turned into two movies and more.

The film stars Timothée Chalamet alongside Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem & Oscar Isaac and is set to release on December 18th. Highlights from the interview are below:

On splitting the book into two films: “I would not agree to make this adaptation of the book with one single movie. The world is too complex. It’s a world that takes its power in details.”

On casting Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir: “As much as I deeply love the book, I felt that the baron was flirting very often with caricature. And I tried to bring him a bit more dimension. That’s why I brought in Stellan. Stellan has something in the eyes. You feel that there’s someone thinking, thinking, thinking—that has tension and is calculating inside, deep in the eyes. I can testify, it can be quite frightening.”

On the difficulty of adapting the book: “It’s a book that tackles politics, religion, ecology, spirituality — and with a lot of characters. I think that’s why it’s so difficult. Honestly, it’s by far the most difficult thing I’ve done in my life.”