#FIRSTLOOK: DENIS VILLENEUVE AT MONTREAL “DUNE: PART TWO” FAN EVENT

Quebec native and award-winning visionary director Denis Villeneuve brought the highly anticipated Dune: Part Two celebrations home to Montreal on February 28, 2024, delighting fans with an exclusive red-carpet screening event of the epic sci-fi adventure!

Hundreds of fans gathered in anticipation at the downtown Cineplex Cinéma Banque Scotia Montréal for the Canadian stop of the global publicity tour for Dune: Part Two. Presented by Audi Canada and The Ritz-Carlton Montreal, the evening was a grandiose heartwarming homecoming for Denis as well as fellow filmmakers Producer Tanya Lapointe and Academy Award® Winning Production Designer Patrice Vermette.

The screening was introduced by one of Quebec’s top comedians and television personalities, Jay Du Temple. Jay and Denis thrilled audiences by awarding multiple trips to Hollywood as exclusive prizing to celebrate the night.

Beyond early access to watch the film in IMAX®, fans were treated to immersive photo moments, gift bags, and spice-infused takeaways courtesy of David’s Tea and Kanel.

Dune: Part Two hits theatres across Canada on March 1. Tickets are on sale now!

#GIVEAWAY: ENTER FOR A CHANCE TO WIN PASSES TO AN ADVANCE SCREENING OF “DUNE: PART TWO”

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada x Mr. Will want to give Readers in Toronto and Vancouver a chance to win passes to an Advance Screening of DUNE: PART TWO.

Screenings take place as follows on February 28, 2024:

Toronto

7:30 PM

CPX Scotiabank

Vancouver

7:30 PM

Scotiabank Theatre Vancouver

SYNOPSIS:

The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on “Dune: Part Two,” the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s six-time Academy Award-winning “Dune.”

The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka,” “Call Me by Your Name”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Malcolm & Marie,” “Euphoria”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Avengers: End Game,” “Milk”), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (“Elvis,” “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood”), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (“Black Widow,” “Little Women”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Thor: Love and Thunder”), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter,” “Hairspray”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Léa Seydoux (the “James Bond” franchise and “Crimes of the Future”), with Stellan Skarsgård (the “Mamma Mia!” films, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”).

“Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Herbert’s novel. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.

Villeneuve is again collaborating with his “Dune” creatives: Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser; Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette; Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker; Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert; Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is again on hand to create the score.

“Dune: Part Two” was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film is slated for a March 1, 2024 worldwide release from Warner Bros. Pictures.

To enter for a chance to win, click “like” on this Post at MR. WILL ON FACEBOOK and in the comments, tell us your city! Share this on X or IG for an extra chance!

Rules and regulations here.

Warner Bros. Pictures Canada release DUNE: PART TWO only in theatres March 1, 2024.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)

#FIRSTLOOK: OFFICIAL CANADIAN TRAILER FOR “DUNE: PART TWO”

Today we get a brand-new Canadian Trailer for DUNE: PART TWO, arriving in theatres this November.

The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on “Dune: Part Two,” the next chapter of Frank Herbert’s celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021’s six-time Academy Award-winning “Dune.”

The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Wonka,” “Call Me by Your Name”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: No Way Home,” “Malcolm & Marie,” “Euphoria”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning”), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Avengers: End Game,” “Milk”), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (“Elvis,” “Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood”), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (“Black Widow,” “Little Women”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films, “Thor: Love and Thunder”), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter,” “Hairspray”), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Léa Seydoux (the “James Bond” franchise and “Crimes of the Future”), with Stellan Skarsgård (the “Mamma Mia!” films, “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Being the Ricardos”).

“Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Herbert’s novel. The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Jon Spaihts, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson serving as creative consultant.

Villeneuve is again collaborating with his “Dune” creatives: Oscar-winning director of photography Greig Fraser; Oscar-winning production designer Patrice Vermette; Oscar-winning editor Joe Walker; Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert; Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West. Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer is again on hand to create the score.

“Dune: Part Two” was filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film is slated for a November 3, 2023 worldwide release from Warner Bros. Pictures.

(Photo/video credit: Warner Bros. Pictures Canada)

#OSCARS: “THE POWER OF THE DOG” LEADS 2022 OSCAR NOMINEES

Nominations were announced earlier today for the 94th Academy Awards, to be held Sunday, March 27, 2022 at Dolby Theatre in Hollywood at 8 PM ET. Tracee Ellis Ross and Leslie Jordan made announcements this year. Leading the pack this year with a total 12 nominations is Jane Campion‘s THE POWER OF THE DOG, followed closely by Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE which garnered 10.

This year’s biggest snubs include Lady Gaga for House of Gucci, and while Denis Villeneuve‘s DUNE received much recognition technically, he isn’t up for Best Director. Though it achieved record-breaking Box Office success and acclaim, SPIDER-MAN: NO WAY HOME only garnered one nomination for Special Effects.

Nominees are as follows.

BEST PICTURE

“Belfast”

“CODA” 

“Don’t Look Up” 

“Drive My Car”

“Dune”

“King Richard”

“Licorice Pizza”

“Nightmare Alley”

“The Power of the Dog”

“West Side Story”

BEST DIRECTOR

Kenneth Branagh (“Belfast”)

Ryûsuke Hamaguchi (“Drive My Car”)

Paul Thomas Anderson (“Licorice Pizza”)

Jane Campion (“The Power of the Dog”)

Steven Spielberg (“West Side Story”)

BEST LEAD ACTOR

Javier Bardem (“Being the Ricardos”)

Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Power of the Dog”)

Andrew Garfield (“Tick, Tick … Boom!”)

Will Smith (“King Richard”)

Denzel Washington (“The Tragedy of Macbeth”)

BEST LEAD ACTRESS

Jessica Chastain (“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”)

Olivia Colman (“The Lost Daughter”)

Penélope Cruz (“Parallel Mothers”)

Nicole Kidman (“Being the Ricardos”)

Kristen Stewart (“Spencer”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Ciarán Hinds (“Belfast”)

Troy Kotsur (“CODA”)

Jesse Plemons (“The Power of the Dog”)

J.K. Simmons (“Being the Ricardos”)

Kodi Smit-McPhee (“The Power of the Dog”)

BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS

Jessie Buckley (“The Lost Daughter”)

Ariana DeBose (“West Side Story”)

Judi Dench (“Belfast”)

Kirsten Dunst (“The Power of the Dog”)

Aunjanue Ellis (“King Richard”)

BEST ADAPTED SCREENPLAY

“CODA,” Siân Heder

“Drive My Car,” Ryûsuke Hamaguchi, Takamasa Oe

“Dune,” Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth

“The Lost Daughter,” Maggie Gyllenhaal

“The Power of the Dog,” Jane Campion

BEST ORIGINAL SCREENPLAY

“Belfast,” Kenneth Branagh

“Don’t Look Up,” Adam McKay, David Sirota

“King Richard,” Zach Baylin

“Licorice Pizza,” Paul Thomas Anderson

“The Worst Person in the World,” Eskil Vogt, Joachim Troer

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY

“Dune,” Greig Fraser

“Nightmare Alley,” Dan Laustsen

“The Power of the Dog,” Ari Wegner

“The Tragedy of Macbeth,” Bruno Delbonnel

“West Side Story,” Janusz Kamiński

BEST ANIMATED FEATURE

“Encanto”

“Flee”

“Luca”

“The Mitchells vs. the Machines”

“Raya and the Last Dragon”

BEST ANIMATED SHORT

“Affairs of the Art”

“Bestia”

“Boxballet”

“Robin Robin”

“The Windshield Wiper”

BEST COSTUME DESIGN

“Cruella” 

“Cyrano” 

“Dune” 

“Nightmare Alley” 

“West Side Story” 

BEST ORIGINAL SCORE

“Don’t Look Up,” Nicholas Britell

“Dune,” Hans Zimmer

“Encanto,” Germaine Franco

“Parallel Mothers,” Alberto Iglesias

“The Power of the Dog,” Jonny Greenwood

BEST SOUND

“Belfast” 

“Dune” 

“No Time to Die” 

“The Power of the Dog” 

“West Side Story”

BEST ORIGINAL SONG

“Be Alive” (“King Richard”), Beyoncé Knowles-Carter, Dixson

“Dos Oruguitas” (“Encanto”), Lin-Manuel Miranda

“Down to Joy” (“Belfast”), Van Morrison

“No Time to Die” (“No Time to Die”), Billie Eilish, Finneas O’Connell

“Somehow You Do” (“Four Good Days”), Diane Warren

BEST DOCUMENTARY FEATURE

“Ascension” 

“Attica”

“Flee”

“Summer of Soul (…Or, When The Revolution Could Not Be Televised)”

“Writing With Fire” 

BEST DOCUMENTARY SHORT

“Audible”

“Lead Me Home”

“The Queen of Basketball”

“Three Songs for Benazir”

“When We Were Bullies”

BEST FILM EDITING

“Don’t Look Up”

“Dune”

“King Richard”

“The Power of the Dog”

“Tick, Tick … Boom!”

BEST INTERNATIONAL FEATURE

“Drive My Car” (Japan)

“Flee” (Denmark)

“The Hand of God” (Italy)

“Lunana: A Yak in the Classroom” (Bhutan)

“The Worst Person in the World” (Norway)

BEST MAKEUP AND HAIR

“Coming 2 America”

“Cruella” 

“Dune” 

“The Eyes of Tammy Faye”

“House of Gucci” 

BEST PRODUCTION DESIGN

“Dune” 

“Nightmare Alley” 

“The Power of the Dog”

“The Tragedy of Macbeth”

“West Side Story” 

BEST VISUAL EFFECTS

“Dune” 

“Free Guy” 

“No Time to Die” 

“Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings” 

“Spider-Man: No Way Home” 

BEST LIVE ACTION SHORT

“Ala Kachuu – Take and Run”

“The Dress”

“The Long Goodbye”

“On My Mind”

“Please Hold”

The Academy Awards will air on ABC on March 27, 2022.

(Photo credit: Netflix)

#EDITORSNOTE: TEAM MR. WILL TOP TENS OF 2021

While it felt the latter part of 2021 was rather hectic on the release side for films, it certainly was a memorable, although sometimes chaotic year in Cinema. As we saw several films which should’ve surfaced in 2020, banked for our enjoyment on the big screen this year, it makes it even more challenging to narrow down our favourites. Truly, the Films that made the cut in 2021 truly were outstanding as they had to shine amongst a quality slate of releases.

Though it seems we’re making one step forward and two steps back in making it through this Pandemic, we were so happy to have been able to be back in theatres once again and enjoy a hybrid version of the Toronto International Film Festival. For that we are grateful and we look forward to sitting in a theatre once again, full capacity with popcorn and drink in-hand, even if not yet.

Team Mr. Will break down their favourite releases of 2021 for us and as always, it is an exciting and eclectic mix. Films like CODA, ROADRUNNER, NINE DAYS, C’MON C’MON and MASS might not be on all Critics’ Top Tens, but they fared well among the Team and found a home with us. If you’re still deciding what to see or are on the fence about, let us help you out!

So grateful for this amazing family of Writers and their esteemed opinions and hard work delivering for us year-round.

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AMANDA GILMORE (@GilmoreAmanda)

I think Cinema is at its best when it entertains, increases empathy and enlighten us. The films in my Top Ten check those boxes for me. However, 2021 is filled with impactful Cinema and my list could easily be 20! Other films I love are Awards Season favourites King Richard, Belfast & Spencer. This list was made before viewing A Hero, Parallel Mothers & Cyrano.

The Worst Person in the World & Petite Maman would be below but they release in 2022. Keep an eye out for them!

Top Ten Narratives (in alphabetical order):

C’mon C’mon
CODA
Drive My Car
Judas & the Black Messiah
The Lost Daughter
Nine Days
Passing
The Power of the Dog
tick, tick… BOOM!
West Side Story

Fav Docs (in alphabetical order):
Flee
Summer of Soul
Writing With Fire

NICHOLAS PORTEOUS (@noveltyhat)

1. NYC Epicenters
2. Life in a Day: 2020
3. The Last Duel
4. Dune
5. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
6. C’mon C’mon
7. Spencer
8. The Green Knight
9. Bo Burnham: Inside
10. Annette

In a near-tie for my favorite this year: two Documentaries attempting to process recent history. Life in a Day revisits the original 2010 experiment, sourcing thousands of hours of amateur footage from across the world shot on a single day in 2020 that might as well represent the era. Spike Lee‘s NYC Epicenters–a four part miniseries available on Crave–looks at every major New York disaster since 9/11 up to the present moment with absolutely crushing clarity. Sidenote: Netflix‘s ‘Turning Point‘ gives 9/11 some much-needed context as the inciting incident in a much broader tragedy for the people of Iraq and Afghanistan. Bo Burnham’s Inside grapples with our collective quarantine routine, and though I have misgivings about how accurate it is to Burnham‘s real experience of the pandemic–dropping it a bit further down the list–I cannot deny the singular power of his music to bring meaning to our perpetually sealed-off lives. In third–and the first narrative on the list–The Last Duel failed to connect with the Box Office but succeeded in keeping me locked at a 70° angle as I untangled the all-too-familiar cycle of assault, denial, and public scorn told from three distinct perspectives, brought together by a relentless, titular duel more explosive than anything Ridley Scott has ever yelled at a journalist. Dune could not be less connected to our present, so it was nice to become ensnared in its deadly world with the most well-integrated Visual Effects I’ve ever seen. Roadrunner and C’mon C’mon are both stories of Documentarians who live their work. For Joaquin Phoenix, it’s a spiritually healing act. For Anthony Bourdain, it’s a bit more complicated. Spencer synthesized Diana‘s tragedy into a devastating weekend of pheasant hunting, pea soup and Jazz. Sidenote: ‘Diana the Musical‘ is worth a Netflix skim for a horrific glimpse into yet another way of defining her story. The Green Knight revitalized title cards–along with reflections on destiny and death. And Annette finally put an end to our cultural obsession with selfish toxic male stars–j/k!

GEORGE KOZERA (@PartyG)

2021 was the year I capitulated, when it came to the Movies. I firmly believed that they HAD to be seen on a big screen to even be considered worthy candidates to make my personal “Best” list. To me, VOD always stood for movies that studios deemed unworthy of a theatrical release and streaming services were like HBO: good stuff but, like HBO movies, should not be considered Oscar-worthy. My feelings came crashing down when I saw my first movie in a darkened theatre when we were finally allowed to do so. It was the Documentary “Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain”. It was also the 107th movie I had watched this year. The final nail in the coffin was when I was given the choice to see “The Eyes of Tammy Faye” in the theatre or to stream it and I chose the latter.

Whittling down the 288 titles I watched in 2021 to my Top Ten was no easy task! And apologies to the movies I haven’t seen yet (The Lost Daughter, Drive My Car, A Hero, Parallel Mothers and The Green Knight) that could have made the list and those that I could not squeeze-in (Annette, Flee, Belfast, Being the Ricardos, Don’t Look Up, In the Heights and Passing).

1. The Power of the Dog
2. West Side Story
3. Mass
4. CODA
5. tick…tick…Boom!
6. (tie) Summer of Soul/Attica
7. Nine Lives
8. The Humans
9. Dune
10. The Worst Person in the World

JUSTIN WALDMAN (@DubsReviews)

What a mess 2021 has been, we thought we couldn’t possibly still be in this god damn pandemic anymore but here we are. Thankfully, even through the endless, and I mean ENDLESS delays we got some content this year that was absolutely incredible. Only one movie on this Top Ten list only played the festival circuit, and I cannot stress enough that it must be viewed when it comes out. Everything on this list deserves its placing, and if you haven’t seen some of these picks, please please please go and see it to warm your Cinephile heart. I present to you my top 10 of 2021. May 2022 bring forward some other excellent Cinema!

Alone With You Green Knight
I’m your Man
Language Lessons
Licorice Pizza
Mass
Red Rocket
Tick Tick Boom
Titane
Violet

Note: at the time of publication I have not seen Drive My Car, or Parallel Mothers.

Happy New Year everyone, and Bon Cinema!

DAVID BALDWIN (@DaveMABaldwin)

Were we wrong thinking 2021 would be better than 2020? While it was not nearly as much of a dumpster fire, there is still so much wrong and so few lessons learned. I loved being able to experience movies in a theatre again, yet am depressed at how few people turned up for anything that did not involve Marvel characters (though I did enjoy some of those ones too). Fingers crossed we can lose the increasingly annoying “Exclusively in Theatres” rhetoric at some point in 2022. All of that said, I was able to experience a whole world of titles at digital festivals and likely saw more movies this year alone than I have in previous years (or at least compared to all the years I have tracked on Letterboxd!). So it was not all doom and gloom.

Here is a look at my ranked Top 10 list of titles that had a profound effect on me, inspiring my creativity endlessly in a year where I felt so little, followed by alphabetical lists of 2020 films I could not see until 2021 and a few festival favourites waiting for proper release.

1. Nine Days
2. The Mitchells vs. The Machines
3. Mass
4. Titane
5. Dune
6. The Worst Person in the World
7. Judas and the Black Messiah
8. Roadrunner: A Film About Anthony Bourdain
9. Riders of Justice
10. Licorice Pizza

2020 Favourites That Were Available This Year
Minari
Quo Vadis, Aida?
Saint Maud

Unreleased Festival Favourites
Beyond the Infinite Two Minutes
Catch the Fair One
The Fallout
Petite Maman
Sundown

MR. WILL (@mrwillw)

Three things we always look for in a great film. One, it has to take us on a real journey and there’s gotta be something at stake that’s meaningful. It doesn’t matter how big the stakes are. It is the Director and Actors’ jobs to make it feel like the journey they are going on matters. Two, we love it when an Actor transforms and we laud bravado in a performance. Three, we want to feel something when we walk away from a film. These Films meet all the criteria for me. Whether it be Kristen Stewart’s transcendent performance as Diana in Spencer which we’re still obsessed with, or what it means for a father to go for broke because he believes so much in his daughters in King Richard, or films like Zola and Red Rocket which pushed the envelope giving us a glimpse into the lives of Sex Workers, my eyes were opened and sometimes welled-up from some of the masterful work I saw in my Top Ten.

Don’t forget to check-out highlights from our 2021 Star Sightings in Toronto here!

1. Spencer
2. King Richard
3. Red Rocket
4. Blue Bayou
5. The Eyes of Tammy Faye
6. Zola
7. West Side Story
8. Dune
9. Coda
10. Licorice Pizza

To another amazing year in Film ahead! Thank you for continuing to join us!

Team Mr. Will

#BOXOFFICE: “GHOSTBUSTERS” SCARES AWAY THE COMPETITION

GHOSTBUSTERS: AFTERLIFE scares aware the competition with a $40.5 million opening this weekend from 4,315 theatres for Sony Pictures. The third installment in the original Franchise gets 61% on the Tomatometer.

In second is Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS with $10.8 million for Disney from 4,055 theatres. Over three weeks it has grossed $135.8 million in North America.

Third goes to CLIFFORD THE BIG RED DOG with $9 million from 3,628 theatres for eOne Films/Paramount Pictures, a two week tally of $33.5 million.

Fourth spot goes to KING RICHARD, based on the life of Venus and Serena Williams‘ father Richard, with $6.5 million from 3,302 theatres for Warner Bros. It gets 92% on the Tomatometer.

Rounding-out the Top Five is DUNE with $3 million for Warner Bros., a total five week run of $98.2 million.

#BOXOFFICE: “ETERNALS” IS INVINCIBLE IN DEBUT

Marvel Studios’ ETERNALS has a smashing debut, opening with $70 million from 4,090 theatres across North America. Directed by Oscar winner Chloé Zhao, the star-studded opus which includes the likes of Angelina Jolie, Salma Hayek, Kumail Nanjiani, Richard Madden, Kit Harington and more, gets 48% on the Tomatometer.

In second is two-week champ DUNE, with $6.4 million from 3,546 theatres. In its third weekend out, it crosses the $100 million mark for Warner Bros.

NO TIME TO DIE is showing resilience, hanging-onto third spot with $6.1 million for Universal Pictures, a total $143.1 million over five weeks.

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE takes fourth spot with $4.1 million, a total $196.6 million over six weeks for Sony Pictures.

RON’S GONE WRONG is fifth with $3.2 million for 20th Century Studios, a total $17 million grossed over three weeks.

Special note, Pablo Larrain‘s Festival Darling SPENCER starring Kirsten Stewart with $2 million from only 996 theatres for NEON/Elevation Pictures, placing it eighth in its debut. The Princess Diana Biopic centering on Christmas weekend before she decides to leave Prince Charles, gets 86% on the Tomatometer.

#BOXOFFICE: “DUNE” DUSTS COMPETITION A SECOND WEEK

DUNE takes top spot at the Box Office a second straight week for Warner Bros., with $15.5 million from 4,125 theatres, for a two-week tally of $69.3 million domestically.

In second is former #1, HALLOWEEN KILLS, taking $8.7 million from 3,616 theatres for Universal Pictures. Over three weeks, it has grossed $85.9 million.

A surprise third is MY HERO ACADEMIA: WORLD HEROES” MISSION with $7.9 million from 1,602 theatres. The Anime Feature gets 80% on the Tomatometer.

NO TIME TO DIE lands in fourth with $7.7 million from 3,507 theatres, a four week run of $133.2 million for Universal Pictures.

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE rounds-out the Top Five with $5.6 million, a total $190 million over five weeks for Sony Pictures.

Notables include also Edgar Wright‘s LAST NIGHT IN SOHO debuting in sixth with $4.3 million from 3,016 theatres for Universal Pictures. The Thriller-Horror which did the Festival rounds including TIFF ’21, gets 73% on the Tomatometer.

ANTLERS starring Keri Russell and Jesse Plemons, opens in seventh with $4.1 million from 2,800 theatres for Searchlight Pictures. It garnered 62% on the Tomatometer.

#BOXOFFICE: “DUNE” LEAVES THEM IN THE DUST IN OPENING

DUNE debuts atop the Box Office this weekend with $33 million from 4,125 theatres domestically for Warner Bros. The Denis Villeneuve-directed remake of the 1984 Film of the same name, gets raves with 84% on the Tomatometer. This is best opening for Warner Bros. post-Pandemic.

HALLOWEEN KILLS still is going strong in second with $14.2 million from 3,727 theatres for Universal Pictures. Ove two weeks it has grossed $72.8 million.

NO TIME TO DIE lands in third with $11.9 million from 3,807 theatres for Universal Pictures, a three week total of $120 million.

VENOM: LET THERE BE CARNAGE is in fourth spot with $8.8 million from 3,515 theatres across North America for Sony Pictures. It has made$181.6 million over four weeks.

RON’S GONE WRONG rounds-out the Top Five with $6.9 million from 3,560 theatres for 20th Century Studios. The Animated Feature gets 81% on the Tomatometer.

#INTERVIEW: DENIS VILLENEUVE AND REBECCA FERGUSON ON “DUNE”

By David Baldwin for Mr. Will Wong

I was not supposed to see DUNE at TIFF ’21. I had my schedule planned and practically laminated going into Labour Day weekend. So when I received a message regarding seeing DUNE and potentially having the opportunity to interview Director Denis Villeneuve, I had to stop what I was doing and re-evaluate that meticulously planned schedule. It is not every day that you have the chance to interview the beloved Canadian Director and Oscar-nominee behind films such as Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, Sicario and Incendies after all.

When I finally caught my breath and arrived at an early screening of the Film a few days later, all I could think about was the years of anticipation and fan excitement that came along with it. I had never read the book and only had a passing knowledge of David Lynch’s film from 1984. I was unsure what to expect, but knew I was in the hands of a master Filmmaker whose exquisite attention to detail and epic scope made for one of the must-see films of the Fall. Villeneuve has not just made his knockout Science Fiction opus with DUNE so much as he has created a fascinating piece of art that will please die-hard fans and newbies to the story.

Villeneuve graciously took some time to take myself and other roundtable Journalists through his process over a Zoom call during the first weekend of TIFF. He discussed how French Comic Artists and childhood heroes Jean-Pierre Dionnet and Philippe Druillet, who brought him to tears when he met them at DUNE’s Premiere in Paris, inspired his visual sense and style. He also assured us that there was no Director’s Cut of the Film, but admitted that he is “a bit tired” planning the next parts of the DUNE series, which include potential follow-up films and a TV Show.

Here are a few other things we learned during our group chat:

What was your biggest challenge in creating DUNE and doing Frank Herbert’s Novel justice?

VILLENEUVE: “I think the biggest challenge was to make sure that someone who read the Book will recognize the world they saw in their mind as they were reading the Book, a bit like when I saw Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings for the first time. I was like how did [he do it]? I had the impression that he had brought a Documentary film crew into my mind, shooting the images I had seen as I was reading the Book. I was very impressed by The Lord of the Rings, and…the goal [in making DUNE] was to try to bring some of the description from Frank Herbert [to life and] be as close to the spirit of the Book. To feel that at least have one image that some hardcore fan will say ‘Oh, that looks close to what I had in mind!’ I feel like we made an act of humility, trying not to bring our vision but more bring Frank Herbert’s vision to the screen. That’s what the big challenge was [as well as wanting] to make sure that someone who had never read the Book will not feel lost and will feel that they are welcome in the Movie and that it will be understandable to a wide audience.”.

“To find that equilibrium between those two [groups] was not easy to do and that was one of the most difficult things to do for this adaptation. I will say the fact that we split the Movie in two parts makes it easier because it means [I was able to] keep elements for the [potential] second movie, but I had to make strong choices. One of them was that my adaptation would focus on Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, and that it would be at the very heart of the movie and will make other characters less present. I could not bring everything or the Movie would get crushed under the pressure of so much information.”

What themes and ideas inspired you to adapt the novel now?

VILLENEUVE: “Good Science Fiction means that it necessarily will be a criticism of reality, or at least a mirror of reality. There are several topics being explored by the Novel that I feel became more relevant as time passed by. I think the novel is more relevant to today’s world than it was when it was written [in 1965]. The impact of Colonialism is still totally relevant to today’s world, the overexploitation of natural resources, the danger of blending politics and religion together – it’s all subjects that are very relevant…and more importantly, the environmental crisis. It’s something that Frank Herbert foresaw in the ’60s. He was worried about the change in climate at that time. You can still find interviews of Herbert’s concern about the change and impact of humans on the environment.”

What was the process you and your team took to create the visuals of DUNE?

VILLENEUVE: “I asked my team to do an impossible task – to at least at first, dream about the Movie, to try to go back to the roots of what they saw when they read the Book. To try to be more within the relationship of the subconscious, the dream state, rather than to go and do research on the Internet or be influenced by other artists. Of course, in saying this, it is a bit impossible because we are the product of multiple influences and we are filled with images coming from the outside but I tried…to say to my close partners, ‘Let’s dream together. Let’s try not to find references. Let’s try as much as possible to go deep inside ourselves.’ At least, that’s what I did at the beginning in order to try and find something that will feel kind of new to the audience.”.

What are your thoughts on the current theatrical landscape and if we will get to see a Dune: Part II?

VILLENEUVE: “I am very optimistic about the future of Theatrical Cinema – we shouldn’t say Theatrical Cinema, we should just say Cinema. [The big screen is] part of the language. It’s not being nostalgic talking about the big screen, it’s at the very centre of what Cinema is which is to receive a visual story in the most immersive way [by] bringing a group of human beings together. I hope the first movie will be well-received and will trigger enough enthusiasm to convince Warner Bros. and Legendary to do the second part, but I’m no prophet…I think that in the long term we will [still] be watching [movies in] theatres. As long as Cinema is with us, there will be theatres to show it.”

We also had the opportunity to speak to the incredibly candid and lovely Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Chalamet’s mother Lady Jessica Atreides in the Film. She spoke highly of her Director, the behind-the-scenes team who designed the sets and costumes, and expressed to everyone in our roundtable just how much she “really, really wants to do” Dune: Part II.

What was it like acting alongside this incredible Cast that includes Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya?

FERGUSON: “Zendaya is huge and hopefully if we do a second one, she will appear more in it. But of the Cast list, I have to say I was in awe of Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and I mean, David Dastmalchian and Stellan Skarsgård and there are many more to [add to] that list. [It was] an honour. An absolute honour. But I think also, doing a film with Denis without knowing the Cast – you know it’s going to be good. It was more a matter of unravelling little Christmas gifts. So Timmy [Chalamet] was the first who was cast. I think I was the second, and then gradually it was sort of a ‘And look who we have here! And look who we have here!’ It was just wonderful.”.

How would you describe the balance between masculinity and femininity in the film?

FERGUSON: “We need to break down what masculinity and femininity is in 2021…Women had no power [in older times] as they do now and yet we’re not even close to what it is to be equal. But they were seen as [being] much more powerful, right? We needed to create the balance and the structure [in DUNE]…it couldn’t be equal. I keep saying this as well, which is an odd thing to say, but the film wouldn’t work with an equal gender neutral position. It is about motherhood. It is about the men making the decisions. But overall, the women are the umbrella. Look at The War of the Roses. Look at the Medieval Times. The men were out in the battlefields, you know slashing and having their jolly old time. The women were plotting the household to create stronger alliances. And this is an on-going theme, isn’t it? What I think Denis did and what he wanted to do was defibrillate the fact that these human beings had powers because of necessity and reason. One of the things we talked about was the gender neutralness of the stillsuit and what it represents. I love that it serves purpose and that it doesn’t just look feminine [or] masculine – it is just a suit for survival.”

How did your acting process on DUNE differ from films like Mission: Impossible and Doctor Sleep?

FERGUSON: “I want different things all the time, otherwise I’d be bored…My process changes because I’m working with new directors. [They] ask of new energies. Tom [Cruise] has such an energy and rush about him that with Mission, it’s a huge film with huge sets, huge stunts and huge energy, and it is just go, go, go all the time. And character-driven as well. But there’s no stillness. You’re never really breathing, which is why they’re so amazing. Denis’ process is finding that complete stillness, finding the drama within character and just dropping them in a set that could eat them up. He finds the juxtapositions of scope and scale. So that just becomes a very different process. And on Doctor Sleep, I just ate kids you know?”

Stay tuned later this week for our full review of DUNE!

Warner Bros. Canada release DUNE in theatres on Friday, October 22, 2021.

*Please exercise caution observing COVID-19 protocols if seeing this in-theatre*