Denis Villeneuve Reveals The Biggest Challenge Of Making Dune With Timothée Chalamet
Adapting a book as epic as "Dune" by Frank Herbert was always going to be a challenge, but that's a challenge Denis Villeneuve welcomed. The director has worked miracles before — "Blade Runner 2049" being the rare unplanned sequel that still managed to live up to its acclaimed predecessor — so there was perhaps no one better-suited to direct the latest adaptation of Herbert's interstellar space fantasy.
Villeneuve's "Dune" features a staggering set of talent, at list that includes Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, and Jason Momoa. Not least of all, in the lead role of Paul Atreides is Timothée Chalamet.
Even the most talented directors, however, encounter their fair share of challenges. In a press conference for "Dune," which opened at the Venice Film Festival, Villeneuve shared the surprising biggest issue he encountered while directing Timothée Chalamet. According to Deadline, the "Call Me By Your Name" star posed a recurring issue on set.
Denis Villeneuve says Timothée Chalamet's hair is 'alive'
Timothée Chalamet's luscious locks are the stuff of legend — how-to styling guides, including one from GQ, abound online — but hair that good can be a problem, too. Denis Villeneuve slyly lamented, "I had to direct Timothée and I had to direct his haircut."
Anyone with hair that thick can attest to the frustration of wrestling it into shape. Keeping Chalamet's mop from flopping around, especially during intense action sequences, could not have been an easy task. Villeneuve continued to riff on the subject, saying Chalamet's hair was "alive." As if his hair wasn't enough to deal with, Chalamet also managed to injure Jason Momoa during filming.
For his part, Chalamet was simply overjoyed to be a part of the project, and during the press conference called it the "honor of a lifetime." Deadline reports that he even set up Google alerts for the movie when he heard about it and aggressively petitioned Villeneuve and Warner Bros. Studios for the lead role of Paul Atreides, the last duke of House Atreides.
"Dune" is coming to theaters and HBO Max in October. Reviews are already out, and Villeneuve encourages viewers to seek out the big screen experience.