The first reactions to the highly-anticipated sci-fi epic sequel,Dune 2, have been overwhelmingly positive so far, with some critics comparing director Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up to some of the best sequels ever made, includingThe Dark KnightandStar Wars: The Empire Strikes Back. One such person to make the comparison to the latter is the director behind the former, Christopher Nolan, with Villeneuve now responding the his comments while speaking withTotal Film.
Nolan comparedDune 2toThe Empire Strikes Back, his favoriteStar Warsmovie, during the IMAX re-release ofTenet, which featured an early preview of the second part of theDunesaga. Check what Villeneuve had to say about the “beautiful” comparison below…
“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.”
Denis Villenueve Shares Dune: Messiah Progress and Picks His Favorite Dune: Part Two Scene
Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve breaks down his favorite scene and gives updates on the Dune: Messiah.
Dune 2has been hugely well-received so far, and currently stands at 97% onthe review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes. Many have likenedDune 2to some of the best sequels of all time, includingThe Dark KnightandThe Empire Strikes Back, with Christopher Nolan calling the movie “an incredibly exciting expansion.”
“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.”
Dune 2 Features an All-Star Cast & Lands in Theaters on Friday
Dune: Part Twowillexplore the mythic journey of Paul Atreidesas he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts,Dune 2sees Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem reprise their roles from the first movie.
The sequel will add several big names to the stellar cast list, including Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Oppenheimer), Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Seven Psychopaths), Léa Seydoux (No Time to Die), Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood), Souheila Yacoub (Rise), and Tim Blake Nelson (The Ballad of Buster Scruggs).
MovieWeb’s own Julian Romanheaped praise on the performances across the board, as well as Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts’s handling of such a large ensemble cast of characters.
“Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts’s script allows each actor to fully inhabit their roles, and this is the film’s greatest tenet. Each performance is just so good. You’re enthralled by winding journeys, it feels as though the characters are pieces on a chess board moving of their own volition.”
Dune: Part Twois set to be released in theaters on July 26, 2025.
