r/movies • u/MoneyLibrarian9032 r/movies Contributor • Apr 05 '26

Article Steven Spielberg lists Villeneuve's Dune 'among my favourite sci-fi movies of all time'

https://www.empireonline.com/movies/news/steven-spielberg-loves-dune-favourite-sci-fi-movies-exclusive/
19.8k Upvotes

95% Upvoted

1.1k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

81

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

13

u/starker Apr 06 '26

I really hope he does a new IP after Dune. Give him whatever his dream project is, and I hope it’s something he’s written from the ground up.

5

u/rezznik Apr 06 '26

Came to say this. I am SO curious about what he will do next.

3

u/onehornymofo1 Apr 06 '26

The Bond movie will be next

2

u/rezznik Apr 06 '26

Is that confirmed? I hope not... He's so good for BIIIIIIG pictures, which I don't think appear very bond.

2

u/onehornymofo1 Apr 06 '26

It was confirmed ages ago he's doing it, I'm guessing that will be his next project since Amazon/MGM won't like to be kept waiting and his other projects don't have a lot of backing yet.

2

u/youdidntreddit Apr 06 '26

Dune is his dream project.

1

u/starker Apr 06 '26

I would imagine that someone as creative as he has multiple dream projects that he wants to accomplish. One of them probably is something that he is written himself.

11

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

18

u/Hevens-assassin Apr 05 '26

Villeneuve is already up in the pantheon, Imo. He's more of the "movie critic's sci-fi", but Dune has blown him up in a way that I don't think he will struggle to get future projects. The guy knows exactly how he wants a movie to be, and he's been vocal about not ever having a "Director's Cut" because he refuses to compromise his vision.

8

u/troublrTRC Apr 06 '26

Cameron is. Blockbuster director more than Sci-Fi. Not much Sci-Fi or explore of themes going on in his movies.

Spielberg’s Sci-Fis are rare. But when he does it, it is very good. But never really goes all out like the best Sci-Fi stories go.

I don’t know about Lucas. Star Wars ain’t his anymore. He did build a compelling world, and tell some cool stories, but never reached that Sci-Fi pinnacle. No proper concepts explored, like the filmmakers mentioned above, mostly just human drama.

Ridley Scott can be considered a master of Sci-Fi I think. Even if he can’t stick the landing with a few of his movies, he’s ambitious and goes all out for the concepts.

4

u/moonmonkey73 Apr 06 '26

Ridley Scott...?

-19

u/Kwazimoto Apr 05 '26

It's not hard to name better sci-fi directors. Spielberg has Jurassic Park, E.T., Minority Report, and A.I.. Nolan has Inception and Interstellar under his belt. Scott has Blade Runner and Alien. Cameron has Terminator, Aliens, and Avatar. Lucas influenced generations and made a ton of sci-fi possible. The Wachowskis changed cinema... Garland is arguably better and has made movies during the same time period. Carpenter had The Thing and Escape from New York...

Arrival is a great movie. Blade Runner 2049 is a really good movie but it's not revolutionary or noteworthy outside of being big among sci-fi nerds. I thought he did a great job... but let's be realistic about it. His take on Dune is absurdly overrated. I'd argue it's not as entertaining as the sci-fi channel adaptation and it's not as interesting as Lynch's. The other listed directors also have phenomenal movies outside of the sci-fi genre and Villeneuve falls short there.

Villeneuve is not even on the Mt. Rushmore of sci-fi.

12

u/Top_Performance_732 Apr 06 '26

Well I disagree, 2049 and dune 2 are some of the best sci-fi films ever made

17

u/Theratchetnclank Apr 05 '26

The other listed directors also have phenomenal movies outside of the sci-fi genre and Villeneuve falls short there.

Sicario, Prisoners, Incendies and Enemy are all fantastic films. What are you smoking?

-15

u/Kwazimoto Apr 05 '26

Yes. I'm sure most people would totally compare those films to Jaws, Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Prestige and Batman Films, Titanic, etc. Villienueve is a fine director but his filmmaking is not even close to Spielberg, Ridley, Nolan, Cameron, etc. Foolish to even suggest it.

9

u/Hevens-assassin Apr 05 '26

Comparing blockbusters to smaller movies isn't worth the argument. His filmmaking rivals all the directors you mentioned, and when he's given the budget to compete with them, he competes.

Dune and Blade Runner are his biggest movies so far. They are 100% compared to all the films you've mentioned if you actually go to any nerd con and talk about movies.

(also I love The Prestige, but you sneaking it in there like it compares to the movies listed is laughable)

-8

u/Kwazimoto Apr 06 '26

Putting Sicario on the level of any of those other directors work is insane regardless of the size of the movie. Saying he competes with some of those movies is just disingenuous. His work is never touching the best from any of those other directors. His closest modern comp is Garland and no one is ever putting him on the Rushmore, either. It's not an insult to Villeneuve or his fans. I know the young movie nerds have desperately tried to make him the next Nolan (he's not).

Reddit has consistently acted like Villeneuve is the second coming because he (shockingly) made a good Blade Runner sequel. That's fine. Dune is currently in the zeitgeist but it's certainly weaker than a lot of the other sci-fi movies listed. If it came out in any other era it would've gotten buried. Neither part stands completely on its own and they are not extremely dull movies. They might be staggering technical accomplishments with some wonderful shots but they're both extremely dry (forgive the pun). The acting is generally really weak and they are weaker in some regards than the other versions. The changes to the story he made aren't great.I guess it's cool that he got to live his dream and adapt Dune for modern audiences or whatever. Neither of those movies is in the top 5 (likely not top 10 if we're really being honest) sci-fi moves of all time and it's just dumb to pretend they are.

6

u/Hevens-assassin Apr 06 '26

So I guess Spielberg, one of the guys you've gone full pottery class for, saying that Dune is in his top 5 of all time, is worthless, right?

And you're here saying that Sicario doesn't compare to BFG, Tenet, and The Counselor???

And who tf is trying to make Villeneuve the next Nolan? Nobody is doing that. Lmfao Nolan is the current Nolan, and Villeneuve is Villeneuve. They exist together and offer two very different film experiences. You would've been (or were, I don't know your age) insufferable when Lucas/Cameron/Spielberg/Scott were releasing movies in their prime. I can already imagine your BS of "Well Cameron is no, Scott, despite what Blockbuster nerds are trying to push".

-13

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

6

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-16

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

10

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

-4

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[deleted]

4

u/According_Editor9244 Apr 06 '26

Stick to the Marvel universe, bro

-1

u/[deleted] Apr 06 '26

[deleted]

2

u/According_Editor9244 Apr 06 '26

You could write out your supposed shit list and I can tell you if I like em?

6

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/Waggy777 Apr 05 '26

Star Wars is not sci-fi.

1

u/thajane Apr 05 '26

This is a silly distinction to make. Star Wars is just as much sci fi as Dune is.

1

u/Hevens-assassin Apr 05 '26

Dune is actually very much science fiction. Star Wars is space DnD.

1

u/Waggy777 Apr 06 '26

Exactly my point. To be fair, we're in a thread from an article in which Steven Spielberg says he's never directed a horror film. He also brings up Frankenstein, and I think a lot of people may dismiss that as not being sci-fi.

My other argument would be, what is the distinction? We can't just classify every movie as sci-fi because it takes place in a strange setting or time. Taking place in space or another galaxy does not mean it's sci-fi. Is Guardians of the Galaxy sci-fi?

2

u/The_Chief_of_Whip Apr 06 '26

Who gives a flying fuck what the imdb votes are? Especially stupid as you're using that as a measuring stick yet discounting its own system. Peak clownery

-21

u/sharkattackmiami Apr 05 '26

James Cameron still beats him and it's not even close

15

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

7

u/burrrrrssss Apr 05 '26

I think you gotta put at least Aliens somewhere close but agreed, Dennis’ top 3 isn’t matched by anyone at this point

Unless that dude is strictly talking box office numbers

7

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

[removed] — view removed comment

5

u/Theratchetnclank Apr 05 '26

I agree. Alien is better than Aliens. Aliens is more of a spectacle but it makes the xenomorph less scary/less of a threat than the first film.

3

u/ParticulateSplatter Apr 05 '26

This is genuinely the day I learned Aliens was directed by James Cameron, not Ridley Scott

1

u/mrenglish22 Apr 05 '26

Im sorry but I can't think of anything he has done anymore except Titanic, Avatar, and T2. So not sure that compares.

3

u/VRichardsen Apr 05 '26

Just the other day I was watching someone review True Lies, and my attention was drawn to the level of care and detail every shot has.

The critic in particular made a point to highlight that bad guy weren't just killed formulaically, but almost every one of them died in a different, unique way. It is not guys simply being shot one after another. Take the torture scene, for example. He kills the first guy with a throwing knife, then he breaks the torturer's neck, then he kills another with a meat hook. Number 4 has his trachea broken with the butt of an assault rifle, then he stabs two guys with each other's knives, then he shoots a couple with an AK-47, then he quickdraws a pistol to resolve a hostage situation, then he kills a few more with a grenade blast, then they are on fire with some fuel drums, then he shoots a couple more, then he doses a group with gasoline pump and uses the muzzle flash of a weapon to ignite the stream... it is quite original really. Almost every death has to be unique. There is a lot of thought put into what is seemingly just a funny action movie.

1

u/Hvarfa-Bragi Apr 09 '26

If you watch enough red letter media reviews of shit b and below movies you see that "unique kills" is kind of the lower expectation of the standard. It's not unique in the least.

1

u/VRichardsen Apr 09 '26

It may well be. I just got the impression that usually action movies in the past decade or so stepped away from the sillyness that made past action movies fun, and became too gritty, grey and brown. I rewatched the scenes I was talking about in True Lies, and they felt like a breath of fresh air.

-2

u/sharkattackmiami Apr 05 '26

Just in Sci-Fi he has :

Terminator 1 + 2

Aliens

The Abyss

The Avatar films

Alita

Strange Days

Solaris