Dune: Part Two
star Josh Brolin begs the Oscars to recognize Denis Villeneuve for the sequel after he was snubbed for the first film. Based on the book by Frank Herbert, Villeneuve’s first book Dune the film was released in 2021. It was well received and won six Oscars, including Best Original Score, Best Cinematography, Best Editing, and Best Visual Effects, but Villeneuve himself was not nominated for Best Director. Dune: Part Two It was critically acclaimed and a huge box office success upon its release earlier this year, but it’s still unclear how it will perform at the upcoming Oscars.
In his new memoir, Under the truck (through Variety), Brolin, who plays Gurney Halleck in the franchise, makes the bold statement that “stop acting“if the filmmaker is not recognized by Dune: Part Two. The actor celebrates the sequel as an improvement over the original and calls Villeneuve”one of our master filmmakers.” Check out the full excerpt from Brolin’s book below:
“If he’s not nominated this year, I’ll stop acting. It was a better film than the first. When I watched it, it felt like my brain was broken. It’s masterful and Denis is one of our master filmmakers. If the Oscars have any meaning, they will recognize it.”
What Dune: Part Two’s reception means for its Oscar chances
Why the Franchise May Not Win Any Major Awards (Yet)
Dune: Part Two is one of the rare sequels that was received more warmly than the original. Dune2021 reviews were positive, but the film also had the challenging task of setting up the world and all the characters, while the sequel benefits from having relatively little setup. As can be seen in the graph below, Dune: Part Two it was a success and an improvement over the original in every way.
|
Dune Top Franchise Scores |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
Title |
Rotten Tomatoes Critics Score |
Rotten Tomatoes audience score |
Worldwide box office |
|
Dune (2021) |
83% |
90% |
US$407 million |
|
Dune: Part Two (2024) |
92% |
95% |
US$714 million |
The film’s success and quality mean that Villeneuve seems very likely to be nominated this time. It is much less certain, however, that he will win. Traditionally, the Oscars have been hesitant to award second episodes of a trilogy, as seen with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers (2002). With Dune: Part Three confirmed on the horizon, it’s possible that Academy voters will want to wait to recognize the franchise until Villeneuve’s big conclusion. THE Dune the franchise is also hard science fiction, a genre that has historically not performed well at the Oscars.
The Dune sequel cemented Villeneuve’s place in Hollywood
Brolin probably isn’t serious about quitting acting if Villeneuve isn’t nominated, but thankfully, that probably won’t be put to the test. I would be very surprised if Villeneuve wasn’t at least nominated, as Dune: Part Two essentially cemented him as a Christopher Nolan-level Hollywood presence.
Each new Villeneuve film from this point forward will be eventized in a similar way to new Nolan films, though perhaps to a lesser extent. Although it remains a question mark whether Dune: Part Two Despite any major awards, Villeneuve has certainly proven himself worthy of a nomination and a win.
Source: Under the truck by Josh Brolin (via Variety)