When it comes to Dune being recognized by the Oscars, Denis Villeneuve is happy with all the nominations it received, even if he didn't get a nom for directing. Prior to its release, Villeneuve's Dune had some hefty expectations to surpass as the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert's iconic sci-fi novel. Villeneuve had already proven his sci-fi chops with cerebral films like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, so he seemed like the perfect choice to adapt a seemingly unadaptable book. Dune arrived in theaters and on HBO Max in October, and it swiftly won over fans and critics alike with its incredible production values and respect for the source material.
In many ways, Dune can already be deemed a success. It grossed $399.4 million worldwide even with the streaming run, and Warner Bros. greenlit a sequel, Dune: Part 2, days later. Even with all that plus fan adoration, Villeneuve's movie received another boost last week when it earned 10 Oscar nominations. In addition to best picture and best adapted screenplay, Dune scored noms in several technical categories and is considered the favorite to win in many of them. Despite all that, and to the bafflement of many movie lovers, Villeneuve himself isn't nominated for best director.
Villeneuve got the chance to respond to the snub in a recent interview with MovieMaker's Micah Khan (via IndieWire). After Khan congratulated him on Dune's 10 nominations, he remarked that he was bummed Villeneuve wasn't up for best director. Villeneuve responded humbly, stating he's pleased with what Dune was able to accomplish. He said:
“Frankly, if you had told me a few months ago that we’d be in the Oscar race, that we’d have that kind of recognition, I would have not believed you. It’s really moving. If you’re nominated, it’s a beautiful thing… I don’t take things for granted, and I was deeply pleased with what we got.”
Villeneuve handled the snub gracefully, but the same can't necessarily be said for others. One of his Dune stars, Josh Brolin, blasted the Academy for not honoring Villeneuve's work in a social media post last week. While he wasn't overly angry about the move, Brolin did question how Villeneuve couldn't be recognized after Dune earned 10 nominations, saying, "It makes you realize that it's all amazing, and then it's all fucking, totally dumb." Brolin certainly had a point, but it also is an example of how these things can go sometimes. Awards bodies will make decisions people don't agree with, and they sadly can't be changed.
For Villeneuve, it would've been nice to be recognized, but he seems to already feel a great deal of love for his movie. He gets to make Dune: Part 2 as he had always hoped, and the first part has been warmly received by the fans he wanted to impress. By all accounts, Dune is a success and that's in large part because of Villeneuve. A best director nomination would've been the cherry on top, but Villeneuve is okay with just moving onto the next thing.
Source: MovieMaker (via IndieWire)
