Entertainment

Watching Dune On TV Is Like Driving A Speedboat In Your Bathtub, Laments Villeneuve

Denis Villeneuve continues to enjoy a decent relationship with Warner Bros. After all, he’s on the cusp of delivering them what could possibly be a brand new franchise to mine for Movies and TV Shows. This, however, doesn’t change the fact that Villeneuve is still bitter over the HBO Max release of Dune happening day-and-date with the theatrical release. And in interviews, the director continues to mince words about it, without holding back.

In a recent interview snippet where he talked about the chances of a Dune sequel happening, Villeneuve also continued to express his displeasure at the way things were handled at Warner Bros. regarding the simultaneous launch of 2021’s movies on HBO Max. While remaining sympathetic towards the pandemic, Villeneuve cites an analogy to explain how ridiculous it is to be watching Dune at home on your television.

First of all, the enemy of cinema is the pandemic. That’s the thing. We understand that the cinema industry is under tremendous pressure right now. That I get. The way it happened, I’m still not happy. Frankly, to watch Dune on a television, the best way I can compare it is to drive a speedboat in your bathtub. For me, it’s ridiculous. It’s a movie that has been made as a tribute to the big-screen experience.

Villeneuve’s argument makes more sense once you’ve seen the trailers. Those 750 feet Sandworms, the vast dunes of Arrakis, the wonderful vistas conjured up for a world set over 10,000 years in the future and that ensemble cast are all best experienced on the big screen, with IMAX being the most appropriate choice. However, with the way things are turning out, a Delta variant on the rise, and lots of uncertainty, the world’s countries have become fragmented on the path forward towards opening up, it’s impossible to imagine a near future where a worldwide simultaneous release is anything but streaming.

Dune hits theaters on October 22, with a planned premiere on September 3 at the Venice Film Festival. If any of those dates shift, as is the norm these days, I’ll keep you posted. Meanwhile, do let me know how you plan on seeing Dune in the comments below.