Dune 2 director Denis Villeneuve responds to Christopher Nolan comparing the film to his "favorite Star Wars movie"
Feb. 26, 2024Exclusive | The filmmaker is very humbled by comparisons to The Empire Strikes Back
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Once thefirst reactionsto the much anticipated sequelDune 2arrived online, one film that has been regularly cropping up in conversation isThe Empire Strikes Back, the 1980 sci-fi classic that is often described as the best Star Wars film ever made.
Oppenheimerfilmmaker Christopher Nolan was the firstto comparethe upcoming epic to Star Wars Episode 5 during an IMAX screening of the rerelease ofTenet, which featured an early preview of the second part of the big screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel. In a clip shared byRaiders of the Lost Podcast, Nolan told Dune director Denis Villeneuve: “For me, I don’t think it says too much to say that ifDune: Part Onewas Star Wars, this to me is very much The Empire Strikes Back, which is my favorite of the Star Wars films. I just think it’s an incredibly exciting expansion of all of the things you introduce in the first one.”
Since then the comparisons to the eighties classic have just kept coming in - our own reviewer Kevin Harley in theTotal Film reviewof Dune: Part Two described the film as “a sequel that ranks alongsideThe Dark Knightand The Empire Strikes Back”. High praise indeed!
It’s something that Villeneuve didn’t expect at all, being blown away by the response. Speaking to GamesRadar+ about Nolan’s comment in particular, Villeneuve was very humbled, also adding that just like theInceptionfilmmaker it too is his favorite Star Wars film. He replied: “It’s a comparison that I would have never dared to do myself. I think it’s a beautiful compliment because Empire Strikes Back is by far my favourite Star Wars movie. So, it’s like, coming from Chris [Nolan], an incredible compliment.”
Dune: Part Two releases in theaters worldwide on March 1. For more on the movie check out the rest of our coverage:
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As Entertainment Editor at GamesRadar, I oversee all the online content for Total Film and SFX magazine. Previously I’ve worked for the BBC, Zavvi, UNILAD, Yahoo, Digital Spy and more.
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