Dune is tearing it up with critics in early reviews, however, director Denis Villeneuve is making sure to distinguish his own blockbuster from the likes produced by Marvel Studios, calling that entire superhero saga a “copy-and-paste” genre.
Unlike MCU films, Villeneuve gets the honor of having its first screening take place during this year’s Venice International Film Festival where it’s gone on to marvel almost anyone who’s seen the new Dune. Running on a $160 million budget, Dune is as much of a blockbuster as Disney's most recent comic book film, Shang-Chi and The Legend of The Ten Rings, but that alone isn’t to blame for the faults Villeneuve sees in most Marvel movies.
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As part of his European press tour, Villeneuve touched upon the matter with Spanish outlet El Mundo explaining how these types of films “have perhaps turned us into zombies”. According to his opinion, there are lots of movies from Marvel Studios “that are nothing more than a cut and paste of others” because they’re made from the same mold, even when certain filmmakers can “add a touch of color,” the way he views things, they’re mostly cookie-cutter productions.
Although Villeneuve didn’t specify who were the MCU directors he held in higher esteem, he did recognize he is not as pessimistic as it might first appear when it comes to the currents cinema landscape, as he still believes “currently, there are lots of big and expensive movies of great value”. One example of this might Eternals director Chloe Zhao, whose work has been constantly praised and admired by Villeneuve, compliments that Zhao is more than happy to return as part of her work in Eternals was inspired by the likes of Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049.
Dune is of course based on Frank Herbert’s eponymous series of novels, whose past adaptations have not fully pleased fans of the saga, yet Villeneuve is quite excited over his opportunity to make this “dark space opera” that has not been seen before. It’s not all been fun and games for the director though, as he’s been quite vocal over his dissatisfaction around Dune’s dual release in theaters and on HBO Max due to the film being dreamt, designed, made, and shot” thinking of the big screen, especially IMAX.
Villeneuve is clearly on the same camp as Martin Scorsese, Ridley Scott, and Alejandro González Iñárritu, all of whom have voiced their concern regarding the proliferation of content in place of what they believe to be true cinema. Maybe Zhao can prove him wrong with a less zombified and more cinematic MCU movie once Eternals just a couple of weeks after Dune.
Dune is scheduled for release in theaters and HBO Max on October 22, 2021.
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