Here's What Denis Villeneuve Really Thinks About Comparison To Christopher Nolan

With "Dune" officially out and doing well enough to warrant a sequel, it's safe to say director Denis Villeneuve is on top of the world right now. It's certainly not his first brush with success after a long, storied career that includes some of the last decade's best films. He broke into mainstream sensibilities with his chilling thriller "Prisoners" before becoming the go-to science-fiction auteur with the likes of "Arrival," "Blade Runner 2049," and now, "Dune."

Denis Villeneuve is like the modern-day Ridley Scott, cranking out one iconic sci-fi flick after the next. The only other director that really holds a candle to him in that genre is Christopher Nolan, who's delivered some of the most groundbreaking science-fiction stories in recent memory with "Inception," "Interstellar," and "Tenet." Of course, it's not a contest. There's plenty of room for both talented filmmakers to make whatever stories they want in Hollywood, but Villeneuve has some surprising thoughts on being compared to his contemporary.

Denis Villeneuve recently did an interview with The Hollywood Reporter where he spoke at length about the success of "Dune" and his progress on the sequel. During the conversation, his contemporary Christopher Nolan came up. When asked how he felt being compared to someone considered one of the best filmmakers working today, Villeneuve took the route of humility. "Frankly, I don't pay a lot of attention to those kinds of statements because they are statements that can change," he explained. "I mean, I will say that I'm a massive fan of Nolan's work. He's a master, but I don't consider myself at the same level."

Villeneuve goes on to insist it's not modesty keeping him from comparing himself to one of the greats. There's actually a good reason why he wants to distance himself from Nolan. As he puts it, "It's just that I like to think that I'm still learning my craft and that every movie is a learning experience. If one day I feel that I'm in control and that I've totally mastered the tools, then maybe I could be called a master, but it's not the case right now. I'm learning too much."

Still, the director appreciates the comparison, but he feels as if he's not ready to be held to that standard quite yet. Perhaps he'll feel differently once "Dune: Part 2" becomes available.