‘Dune‘ filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has opened up about why his affection for the ‘Star Wars’ universe dwindled years ago — and why he is not interested in directing a film within the franchise. While ‘Star Wars‘ is still deemed as one of the most acclaimed franchises with a huge fanbase worldwide, Villeneuve seemingly has his reasons to think otherwise.
Speaking on The Town podcast recently, Villeneuve revealed what changed for him in regards to ‘Star Wars‘ and why is not such a huge fan anymore despite loving the franchise wholeheartedly once. Here’s what he said.
Denis Villeneuve Reveals How ‘Star Wars’ Shaped His Childhood
‘Dune’ filmmaker Denis Villeneuve recently revealed that although ‘Star Wars’ was a huge deal for him during his childhood, it lost its magic after Return of the Jedi in 1983. “I was the target audience. I was 10. It went to my brain like a silver bullet,” Villeneuve recalled, stating how much ‘Star Wars’ shaped him growing up.
“I mean, The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that I anticipated the most in my life. I saw the movie a billion times onscreen. I was traumatized by The Empire Strikes Back. I adore Star Wars,” he said, although he added that it all went downhill with ‘Return of the Jedi‘.
“The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi,” he said. “It’s a long story. I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab and go to L.A. and talk to George Lucas — we were so angry! Still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids,” he added.
“Star Wars became crystallized in its own mythology, very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I’m not dreaming to do a Star Wars because it feels like code is very codified,” the director added.
He also admitted he’s never been a fan of ‘Star Trek‘, simply saying, “I’m not a Trekkie.”
Denis Villeneuve Wants To Go Back To Exclusive Films Rather Than Franchises Like ‘Dune’
Though he is in the deeper stretch of the ‘Dune‘ franchise, Denis Villeneuve revealed a desire to go back to more exclusive, personal films rather than to keep doing big franchises. He also made it clear how he maintains the theatrical experience, refusing to work for streaming networks like Netflix.
In case you missed it: “Don’t Need To See Spice Worms”: Quentin Tarantino Says He Would Never Again Watch Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ Sequels
“The big screen is part of the language, to share a story together,” he said, affirming his commitment to the shared emotional act of cinema.
While fans may have hoped to see Villeneuve’s take on a ‘Star Wars‘ or ‘Star Trek‘ project, it seems the director is more focused on preserving the magic of cinema his own way.
