There’s been a lot of director-supporting-director stuff going on lately, and it’s great to see. When Christopher Nolan’s “Tenet” returned to theaters earlier this year, it did so with “Dune: Part Two” footage tacked on, prompting Villeneuve to call Nolan a “master,” and stating his belief that he isn’t anywhere near that level. Nolan himself recently revealed that he had the pleasure (or nerve-shredding experience if you think about it) of watching Steven Spielberg watch “Oppenheimer” for the first time. Witnessing one of the greatest directors to ever do it take in your own creation must have been an exhilarating and terrifying experience. Luckily, according to Nolan, Spielberg had “very kind things” to say about the three-hour epic.
Now, the man responsible for multiple all-time classics has turned his attention to Nolan’s buddy Villeneuve, and was similarly supportive of the French-Canadian director’s latest effort. Interviewing Villeneuve for the latest episode of the DGA’s “Director’s Cut” podcast (via Variety), Spielberg revealed that he loved “Dune: Part Two.” In fact, the director evidently considers it “one of the most brilliant science-fiction films [he’s] ever seen.” Continuing to praise the “Arrival” director, Spielberg singled out the way in which Villeneuve filmed the desert “to resemble an ocean, a sea,” adding:
“The sandworms were like sea serpents. And that scene surfing the sandworms is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Ever! But you made the desert look like a liquid.”
Considering Villeneuve spent a whole year perfecting the sandworm design, he no doubt appreciated Spielberg’s comments.
