Quentin Tarantino hasn’t seen ‘Dune: Part Two’: ‘I don’t need to see that story again’
During the same interview where he defended the Warner Bros. awards season flop “Joker: Folie a Deux,” Oscar-winning director Quentin Tarantino also expressed a strong disinterest in the studio’s top contender, “Dune: Part Two.”
Speaking to Bret Easton Ellis during an interview with Ellis for the writer’s podcast, Tarantino said he had already watched “Dune” adapted for the screen by David Lynch.
“I don’t need to see that story again,” Tarantino said when asked about Denis Villeneuve’s screen adaptations of Frank Herbert’s science-fiction novel. “I don’t need to see spice worms. I don’t need to see a movie that says the word ‘Spice’ so dramatically.”
The “Once Upon a Time in Hollywood” director added that Hollywood’s reliance on reboots and remakes was not something he found interesting as an audience member.
“It’s one after another of this remake and that remake,” Tarantino said. “People ask have you seen ‘Dune’? Have you seen ‘Ripley?’ Have you seen ‘Shogun’?” And I’m like no, no, no, no. There’s six or seven Ripley books, if you do one again, why are you doing the same one that they’ve done twice already? I’ve seen that story twice before, and I didn’t really like it in either version, so I’m not really interested in seeing it a third time. If you did another story, that would be interesting enough to give it a shot anyway.”
“I saw ‘Shōgun’ in the ‘80s. I watched all 13 hours. I’m good. I don’t need to see that story again, I don’t care how they do it,” he added. “I don’t care if they take me and put me in ancient Japan in a time machine. I don’t care, I’ve seen the story.”
“Dune: Part Two” is expected to be a major factor at the 2025 Oscars, with nominations currently predicted for Best Picture, Best Director for Villeneuve, and several crafts categories. The first film, released in 2021, won six Oscars out of 10 overall nominations. Villeneuve was not nominated for Best Director for “Dune” but has heavily campaigned already this year and could land among the five nominees next year.
“Dune: Part Two” is currently the top-grossing movie in serious Best Picture contention. Films such as “Gladiator II” and “Wicked” could challenge “Dune: Part Two” for that title before the end of the year.
Tarantino has always been outspoken about his taste in film. During that same interview with Ellis, he praised “Joker: Folie a Deux” and director Todd Phillips for making such an aggressive antagonistic film.
“The Joker directed the movie. The entire concept, even him spending the studio’s money — he’s spending it like the Joker would spend it, all right?” Tarantino said. “And then his big surprise gift — haha! — the jack-in-the-box, when he offers you his hand for a handshake and you get a buzzer with 10,000 volts shooting you — is the comic book geeks. He’s saying f— you to all of them. He’s saying f— you to the movie audience. He’s saying f— you to Hollywood. He’s saying f— you to anybody who owns any stock at DC and Warner Brothers […] And Todd Phillips is the Joker. Un film de Joker, all right, is what it is. He is the Joker.”