Dune 2 actor Javier Bardem gives his reaction to the sequel’s script. The sequel got the go-ahead from Warner Bros. after the success of the first movie which was released in theaters and on HBO Max in October 2021. Dune 2 is set to release in 2023 with director Denis Villeneuve will return to helm the film, which will adapt the second part of Frank Herbert's seminal science-fiction novel.
Herbert’s Dune series has often been thought to be unadaptable. David Lynch tried in the 80s, receiving predominantly negative reviews. Recognizing the complexity of Hebert’s Dune universe, Alejandro Jodorowsky famously wanted to make an adaptation of Dune that was over ten hours long (its failed production later became the subject of the documentary Jodorowsky’s Dune). Arrival director Denis Villeneuve took on the mammoth sci-fi novel series this past year in his Timothée Chalamet-led version of Dune that split the novel into two parts. The film also starred Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and Bardem.
Now, Bardem has provided an early reaction to Villeneuve’s sequel script. According to Bardem, while the new script does generally adhere to the book’s plot, the way that the film is stitched together will nonetheless “surprise” fans. Barden speaks confidently about Villeneuve’s capabilities to adapt the script, praising his work in the first Dune film. According to Comicbook, Bardem found himself “moved” by the script’s story arc and unique way of connecting the various facets of the Dune universe. Check out his full quotation below:
"I've read the new draft and I think they've done an amazing job of putting together the pieces in a way that is gonna surprise people. They won't be surprised [by what happens], obviously, because they've read the book, but they'll be surprised by the way they put it together. I was very moved by it. It's a movie that is full, and you can feel the weight of it, and at the same time [you can enjoy] the spectacularity of it. [I can't wait] to go back to the desert with those people, and I'm so happy to go back with Denis, who is one of the greatest directors ever. He's a lovely man."
Though his rendition was initially criticized as incomplete, perhaps Dune 2 will redeem Villeneuve and more fully round out the story. Bardem certainly seems to have confidence that the director will be able to string together any loose pieces that he left up in the air with the first Dune film. Bardem is in good company by recognizing Villeneuve’s directorial strength. Villeneuve has already distinguished himself in the sci-fi film realm, helming the hit films Arrival and Blade Runner: 2049. Dune itself eventually saw success, as it went on to receive ten Oscar nominations, essentially sweeping the technical categories.
Though “putting together the pieces” of Dune has proved a difficult task for past directors, Villeneuve may just be the director to take it on. Though diehard Dune fans take issue with some of the director’s first Dune attempt, there is no doubt that the director has proved himself to critics in the past, for his sci-fi work is revered by many. With Dune 2, Villeneuve has the opportunity to tackle one more feat of a sci-fi film: to adapt a purportedly unadaptable piece of literature. Fans of the book series and first film will have to see for themselves whether or not they agree with Bardem’s Dune 2 praise, as 2023 fast approaches.
Source: Comicbook
