Dune emerged as the biggest winner at the 94th Academy Awards, sweeping almost all the technical categories. Dune walked away with six Oscars, including Best Original Score for Hans Zimmer and Best Cinematography for Greig Fraser. The Denis Villeneuve-directed film has been praised by critics and audience alike for its breathtaking visuals, majestic score, and faithfulness to Frank Herbert’s titular novel.
Although Denis Villeneuve was snubbed in the Best Director category, he is content with having made one of the best films of the year and plans to outdo himself with Dune: Part Two. Greig Fraser revealed that Dune 2 will be even bigger than Part One, admitting he was “blown away” by the film’s script. After winning the Oscar for Best Cinematography, Fraser told EW backstage what to expect from Dune: Part Two.
Greig Fraser has established himself as one of Hollywood’s best cinematographers, having shot Disney’s The Mandalorian, Rogue One, Lion, and most recently, The Batman. The fact that Fraser is even more amped up to shoot Dune: Part Two, considering how incredible Dune looked, is great news for fans. Hopefully, the film will live up to expectations, which seem to be increasing by the day.
“I’ve been trained by the house of the mouse at Lucasfilm not to give you any scoops. But I can tell you that this is a bigger story. I’ve read the script, and I’m more blown away by this script than I was by Part One. I’m more excited. I was sitting in a meeting with Denis and [production designer] Patrice [Vermette] and Paul [Lambert] the other day at Denis’ house talking about this film, and I turned to Denis and said, I can’t believe these people pay us to do this. This is ridiculous. They pay us to make these movies which are so exciting and so amazing. I can tell you it’s bigger and better.”
Denis Villeneuve is Solely The Man to Thank For Dune, Per Greig Fraser
French-Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve is one of the best directors of the modern era. Known for his thrillers and sci-fi films like Prisoners, Arrival, and Sicario, Villeneuve ventured into the blockbuster genre with 2017’s Blade Runner 2049. While a hit with critics and fans of the 1982 original, the film disappointed at the box office, and the same was expected from Dune, a movie based on one of the most complex sci-fi works ever written. But Villeneuve’s vision and sheer dedication made Dune possible and also contributed to its unexpected success both theatrically and on HBO Max.
In his Oscar acceptance speech, Greig Fraser appreciated Villeneuve’s commitment to bringing Dune to the big screen. “Denis is the man. Everything that gets written about ‘Dune’ must start with the words ‘Denis Villeneuve’,” Fraser said of the director, even referring to him as “Master Denis.”
Denis Villeneuve is currently busy in pre-production on Dune: Part Two, which is slated to shoot this summer. He has described it as his most challenging project yet, promising that the film will be more fun and cinematic compared to the slow and moody Dune: Part One. Timothée Chalamet will again take center stage as Paul Atreides, with Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Stellan Skarsgard expected to return. Zendaya and Javier Bardem will also return, albeit in a much larger capacity. Florence Pugh and Austin Butler are currently in talks to star as Princess Irulan and Feyd-Rautha respectively.
Dune: Part Two will hit theaters on October 20, 2023.
