Dune director Denis Villeneuve has weighed in the impact of big-budget films such as Marvel movies and their impact on the movie theatre box office over the past years. In an interview with El Mundo, Villeneuve discussed the relevancy of big-budget movies in the film industry. Villeneuve is a French Canadian film director and writer who started his career as a filmmaker and is best known for his feature films Arrival, Sicario, Prisoners, Enemy, and Incendies.
The Academy Award-nominated Villeneuve has not dipped his toes into the Marvel Cinematic Universe but hopes the upcoming Dune adaptation will evolve into a larger franchise. In the interview he discussed Marvel movies stating:
“Perhaps the problem is that we are in front of too many Marvel movies that are nothing more than a ‘cut and paste’ of others,” Villeneuve said. “Perhaps these types of movies have turned us into zombies a bit… But big and expensive movies of great value there are many today. I don’t feel capable of being pessimistic at all.”
In another interview with the French outlet Premiere, he also commented on Marvel movies stating:
“If we’re talking about Marvel, the thing is, all these films are made from the same mold. Some filmmakers can add a little color to it, but they’re all cast in the same factory. It doesn’t take anything away from the movies, but they are formatted.”
Villeneuve’s words have drawn some criticism from Marvel fans with his “copy and paste” comment. He has plans to make a sequel depending on the success of the first installment, which will be released in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22. Will Dune be the next big film franchise series?