Why Christopher Nolan Calls Dune 'A Real Gift To Film'

"Dune," Denis Villeneuve's 2021 adaptation of the classic 1965 Frank Herbert novel of the same name, has finally premiered, having been released in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22. Written for the screen by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, the film is set in the far future and follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his family in a battle for control of the desert planet Arrakis, which is the only planet with access to a precious and powerful substance called "spice." The new film, titled onscreen as "Dune: Part One," covers about half the material of the first novel, with Villeneuve's intention being to complete the story in a second film (although a follow-up has not yet been fully confirmed).

So far, the response to the film has been largely positive. On Rotten Tomatoes, "Dune" currently holds an 83% Tomatometer and a 91% audience score. Both Villenueve — whose previous directorial projects include 2016's "Arrival" and 2017's "Blade Runner 2049" — and cinematographer Greig Fraser have received much of the praise for the film's stunning visuals. Variety, for one, called "Dune" a "eye-bogglingly vast adaptation" and a "majestically somber and grand-scale sci-fi trance-out."

Along with the praise from critics, "Dune" has another big fan known for appreciating grand cinema — Christopher Nolan. In a recent episode of The Director's Cut podcast, Nolan — the director of "The Dark Knight" trilogy, "Inception" "Interstellar" and more — had some high praise for Villeneuve, while the two were in conversation.

During the episode, directors Denis Villeneuve and Christoher Nolan discussed the process of making "Dune." 

Nolan, for one, had nothing but high praise for the film, stating, "It's one of the most seamless marriages of live action photography and computer generated visual effects that I've seen. It's very, very compelling at every turn."

Continuing with the praise, Nolan went on, "Your entire team did an absolute incredible job. I think this film is going to introduce a whole new generation of fans to 'Dune' who have never read the book or encourage fans to go read the book. I think it's an incredible piece of work. I've had the luxury of seeing it a couple times now, and each time I watch it I discover new things, new details to the world. The way in which it's made is for the big screen. It's a real pleasure and a real gift to film fans everywhere."

As it turns out, Villenueve is also a major fan of Nolan. On a different podcast, ReelBlend, Villeneuve had enthusiastic praise for Nolan's most recent endeavor, "Tenet." Villeneuve told the podcast, "I was blown away by Tenet. I think it's a masterpiece. I think that it is a movie that is an incredible cinematic achievement. It's a very complex movie. I had so much fun. I saw it several times, and each time was a blast. I think the level of mastery of Christopher Nolan is unmatched. He is, by far, one of the best filmmakers working in the world today. Because people don't realize the eye-level of his cinematic mastery."