Dunecame away with 10 Academy Award nominations, but much of the attention has been on director Denis Villeneuve not receiving one for Best Director. In response, Josh Brolin took to social media to express his frustration at the surprise snub.
Villeneuve had widely been considered a strong Oscar contender for his work onDune, especially since the director was nominated for other big award ceremonies such as the Critics’ Choice Awards, Directors Guild of America Awards, and the Golden Globes. With Villeneuve not chosen, the Best Director race at the Academy Awards comes down toSteven Spielberg (West Side Story), Paul Thomas Anderson(Licorice Pizza), Jane Campion (The Power of the Dog), Ryusuke Hamaguchi (Drive My Car), and Kenneth Branagh (Belfast).
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Brolin, who plays House Atreides weapons master Gurney Halleck in the film, posted a short video on his Instagram where he questioned how Villeneuve did not land any personal recognition even thoughDuneracked up 10 Oscar nominations. “Hey, I just want to say congratulations to Legendary and Warner Bros., everybody who got nominated forDune: editing, cinematography, score, music, writing, pretty much everything,” Brolin first addressed. “And the unbelievable, almost numbing, flummoxing I feel for Denis Villeneuve not being nominated for best director. It’s just one of those things where you go, ‘Huh? What?!’" Brolin added that he doesn’t understand howDunecould receive 10 Oscar nominations, yet Villeneuve gets no recognition for making a film based on a book many believed was impossible to adapt. Brolin continued, “It makes you realize that it’s all amazing and then it’s all fucking totally dumb. So congratulations for the amazing accomplishments that these incredibly talented people have been acknowledged for, because it’s all really, really dumb.”
While Villeneuve did not land a nomination, his accomplishments and what he was able to create for the big screen will certainly not go unnoticed. On top of the critical acclaim and dominating the nominations (only second toThe Power of the Dog’s 12),Dune’s box office numbers during a pandemic era were enough to merit a second film much to the relief of fans, as a sequel was never officially confirmed by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures.WithDune: Part Twocoming in October 2023, as it is set to begin filming this July, Villeneuve looks to expand on theDuneuniverse and deliver another visually stunning spectacle that will hopefully land him his much deserved nomination.
Based on the acclaimed 1965 novel by Frank Herbert of the same name,Dunefollows the Atreides family accepting the stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis (also referred to as Dune), which contains the most valuable substance in the universe known as the “spice.” But taking control of the planet with such value means greater conflict for the family to face.Villeneuve has confirmed thatDune: Part Twowill have a greater focus on Zendaya and Javier Bardem’s characters, in addition to being a more fun film.
Duneis currently playing in theatres and is available on digital platforms.
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