Director Denis Villeneuve completely forgot he met Timothée Chalamet before Dune, as he rejected the young actor for his 2013 film Prisoners. Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel has seen its fair share of adaptations, but very few (if any) have satisfied audiences. Villeneuve is the latest to take on the sprawling epic, and this time around, fans are feeling a bit more optimistic about its chances. Dune will star Chalamet as Paul Atreides, loyal son to the leader of the planet Arrakis. Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Dune was one of the most anticipated movies of 2020, but it recently ended up being delayed to October 2021.

Villeneuve's impressive track record is one of the reasons fans are feeling more confident about this Dune. He's proven his science fiction chops with the Oscar-nominated Arrival and critically acclaimed Blade Runner 2049. However, his directorial skills stretch even beyond the genre realm, as shown through Sicario and Prisoners. The latter starred Hugh Jackman as a man whose two daughters go missing and Jake Gyllenhaal as the detective who searches for them.

Related: Dune 2020: Biggest Differences From The 1984 Movie (So Far)

Villeneuve cast Chalamet as his leading man in Dune, but it turns out it wasn't the first time the two had crossed paths. In a new GQ profile on Chalamet, Villeneuve recalled how he told Chalamet he was thrilled to meet him while discussing Dune. However, Chalamet had to gently remind him they met before, when Chalamet auditioned for Prisoners. "‘Of course!’" Villeneuve recalled. When it came to Chalamet's attempt at joining Prisoners, Villeneuve said, "He did a great audition, but he didn't physically fit the part. He was probably swearing at me because I didn't take him."

Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune

Villeneuve has likely seen numerous faces when casting his movies, so it's no surprise he didn't recall his earlier meeting with Chalamet. However, it's still rather funny that Villeneuve rejected Chalamet for Prisoners, only to go on and cast him in the biggest role of his career. Villeneuve previously praised Chalamet's performance in Dune, and the profile noted Chalamet was the director's top choice for the part of Paul. Clearly, missing out on Prisoners didn't hurt Chalamet's career too badly.

Chalamet's star has risen to great heights since his breakout turn in Call Me by Your Name, and fans are quite excited to see what he'll do as Paul. They received their best glimpse yet when Dune's first trailer was released; it put him squarely in the spotlight and showed he's definitely a good pick for the role. It's just a shame audiences will have to wait even longer to see his full performance thanks to its latest delay. Based on Villeneuve's previous comments, though, it'll be well worth the wait.

More: Dune 2020: Why The Movie Is In Two Parts (Where Will Part 1 End?)

Source: GQ

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