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Denis Villeneuve has often mentioned “Star Wars” as one of his favorite movies while growing up, but that does not mean he would like to team up with Lucasfilm to make a movie set in that galaxy.
During a recent interview on “The Town” podcast, the ‘Dune’ filmmaker said that directing a “Star Wars” movie is not a dream of his, as “Return of the Jedi” in 1983 damaged the franchise for him.
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“I was the target audience. I was 10 years old. It went to my brain like a silver bullet. I became obsessed with ‘Star Wars,’” Villeneuve said about George Lucas’ original. “I mean, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ is the movie I anticipated the most. I saw the movie a billion times onscreen. I was traumatized by ‘The Empire Strikes Back.’ I adore ‘Star Wars.’”
“The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with ‘Return of the Jedi,’” he continued. “It’s a long story. I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab, go to L.A., and talk to George Lucas — we were so angry! Still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids.”
According to The Variety, Villeneuve argued that, after ‘Return of the Jedi,’ the ‘Star Wars franchise “became crystalized in its mythology, very dogmatic; it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I’m not dreaming of doing a ‘Star Wars’ because it feels like code is very codified.”
Besides ‘Star Wars,’ the iconic director also ruled out another space franchise. “I’m not a Trekkie,” Villeneuve said when asked about taking on ‘Star Trek.’
The 57-year-old is already considered a legend in the space genre, with all due credit to his terrific work on ‘Dune.’ He is working on the film’s third installment, based on Frank Herbert’s second “Dune” novel, “Dune Messiah.”
“If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy,” the director told Vanity Fair’s “Little Gold Men” podcast earlier this year. “It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”
‘Dune Messiah’ takes place 12 years after the original, so Villeneuve will have to age up his young cast, which includes Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and more.
When asked how he would achieve it, the director stated, “I know how to do that,” but didn’t disclose the plan.
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