In a recent interview, which took place during a special screening of ‘Tenet,’ Christopher Nolan likened Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming ‘Dune: Part Two’ to ‘The Empire Strikes Back,’ holding it up as a paragon for the current generation.
Nolan shared his thoughts in a conversation that included Villeneuve himself. Expressing his opinions on the upcoming ‘Dune’ sequel, he said:
“For me, I don’t think it says too much to say that if ‘Dune: Part One’ was 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.”
Villeneuve’s reaction to Nolan’s comparison was one of surprise — he saw it as a ‘massive compliment.’ The special screening event also featured a sneak peek of the ‘Tenet’ sequel, set for release on March 1, 2024.
You can check out the video below.
Christopher Nolan compared Dune Part 2 to Empire Strikes Back! pic.twitter.com/3zj8fQMdXN
— Raiders of the Lost Podcast (@RaidersLostPod) February 3, 2024
‘Dune’ Series Will Only Feature Three Movies
In a recent interview with Time, Denis Villeneuve confirmed that his journey with the Dune series would conclude with ‘Dune Messiah,’ making it a trilogy despite the original material spanning six novels. You can learn more about Villeneuve’s motives behind this decision here.
However, the Dune universe is set to expand beyond the film series with ‘Dune: Prophecy,‘ a television series focusing on the origins of the Bene Gesserit, aiming for a late 2024 release. Villeneuve’s future projects include potential adaptations of ‘Cleopatra’ and “Rendezvous With Rama.’
As ‘Dune: Part Two’ approaches its release on March 1, 2024, Nolan turns his attention to a remake of ‘Memento,‘ which is currently in the development phase.