Hollywood in Montreal: Denis Villenueve brings Dune: Part Two home for Canadian premiere

Hollywood was in Montreal on Wednesday evening as Dune: Part Two’s Quebec director, Denis Villenueve, brought the blockbuster home for the Canadian premiere. 

“It’s essential for me to finish the journey at home,” said Villenueve. “To share the movie with my hometown, with the Dune fans from Montreal.”

“And more specifically, with my friends and my family.”

From Caladan to the world of Arrakis — Frank Herbert’s Dune is one of the bestselling science fiction novels of all time and in 2021, Villeneuve brought part of the book to life – racking up six academy awards for the adaptation.

For Dune: Part Two, Paul Atreides –- played by actor Timothée Chalamet — is back on the big screen, the Kwisatz Haderach, seeking vengeance alongside the Fremen for their losses suffered.

The fans who attended the premiere — some contest winners from Warner Brothers.

The air, filled with excitement despite Chalamet not making the trip.

The lead actor was supposed to attend the “gold carpet” but was out sick. 

“It’s the greatest director movie from our time,” said Daniel Dessureault, fan of Villeneuve who hoped to meet the director at the premiere. “I’m so much excited.”

“To see a director from the same city as us,” said Annabelle Lacroix, also a fan of the films. “To be in the United States and have such a huge movie that he did, it’s amazing to see.”

 “We’re really excited,” added Jada-Ève Barbe, friend of Lacroix.

“We both love the cinema universe,” said Lacroix. “We’re both in theatre at school.”

“I think that was the core of this film,” said Tanya Lapointe, Dune: Part Two’s executive producer and Villeneuve’s wife. “Beyond the action and the cinematography that I believe is blowing people away, that blew me away, I think that we wanted to feel that deep connection between the two characters (Chani and Paul).”

Also from Montreal, Patrice Vermette, who won an Oscar for Best Production Design on the first film.

How he started designing Dune? By collecting samples of sand from different deserts across the globe in water bottles.

Doing this to ensure their colour would match when the film was edited together.

“I did fill many, many, many, many water bottles with sand,” said Vermette on Montreal’s “gold carpet” — which represents the sand and spice on Arrakis. “That’s all how it all started.”

“I’m proud of Denis,” said the production designer. “It’s Denis’ vision of the book.”

“I’m very proud of my friend.”

A famous quote said in the book and film: “Plans within plans within plans.”

And Montrealers look forward to seeing what Villenueve has planned next.

“It would be a good idea to finish Paul’s story,” said Villenueve on if he’ll return to Arrakis — making a third movie based on the novel Dune Messiah.

“I just want to make sure that the screenplay is finished.”

“The plan at the beginning was to make the first book in two parts, and then probably to do the third one,” he added. “I know that there’s a lot of appetite (…) to do a third one, and me too, I would love.”

The long-awaited Dune: Part Two will open in theaters on March 1.