Quentin Tarantino, the filmmaker known for unapologetically making dark films, often turns into a critic. Recently, he praised Todd Phillips for his work on the ‘Joker‘ sequel despite the film crashing massively at the box office. Tarantino said he “really, really liked” the film and could appreciate its nihilistic undertones.
However, he has an opposite reaction to the ‘Dune‘ franchise. The director has plainly stated that he isn’t coming for any more remakes of Denis Villeneuve’s celebrated adaptations of the film. Here’s why.
Quentin Tarantino Slams ‘Dune’ As Yet Another Case Of Hollywood Remake
In a recent sit-down with ‘American Psycho‘ author Bret Easton Ellis on his podcast, Quentin Tarantino made it very clear that he holds little to no appeal for Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune‘ franchise. His reason? Hollywood’s constant recycling of old IP, often in hopes of mitigating risk and maximizing profit, has him thoroughly uninterested.
“I saw [David Lynch’s original adaptation of] Dune a couple of times,” Tarantino said during the interview. “I don’t need to see that story again. I don’t need to see spice worms. I don’t need to see a movie that says the word ‘spice’ so dramatically.”
And it’s not just ‘Dune‘ that he seemingly has a problem with. It just so happens that Tarantino was faced with quite a long list of movies he has been requested to watch but brushed off for the same reason— he had seen it all before. “It’s one after another of this remake, and that remake,” he added.
“People ask ‘Have you seen Ripley? Shōgun? Dune? And I’m like, ‘No, no, no, no.’ There’s six or seven Ripley books. If you do one again, why are you doing the same one they’ve done twice already?” the ‘Pulp Fiction‘ director asked.
‘Dune’ Fans Eagerly Await Its Installments Despite Quentin Tarantino’s Criticism
While Quentin Tarantino has said it out loud, movie remakes have indeed become a norm that some audiences aren’t responding well to. The remakes, reboots, and sequels that dominate screens have become excessive for many.
From Warner Bros.’ ‘Harry Potter‘ series reboot to Luca Guadagnino’s reimagining of ‘American Psycho‘, it seems Hollywood can’t stop looking back at what has been done before.
However, not everyone is as immune to ‘Dune‘ as Tarantino. Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Two‘ has already been lauded for its visual splendor, and not just by critics, for Steven Spielberg declared it “one of the most brilliant” sci-fi films he’s ever seen.
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Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Austin Butler, this star-studded sequel promises to be one of the top contenders for next year’s Oscars. While Tarantino digs his heels in, Villeneuve will be back in the desert soon, with development on ‘Dune: Part Three‘ already in the works.
Max’s prequel series, ‘Dune: Prophecy‘, is set to premiere on November 17.
