Chloe Zhao blown away by Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’

By PTI

LOS ANGELES: Oscar-winning filmmaker Chloe Zhao has seen an early theatrical screening of Denis Villeneuve’s highly-anticipated “Dune” adaptation and says she’s “blown away by the experience”.

Calling the movie, which is about to have its world premiere on September 3 on the Venice Film Festival, “incredible” and “cinematic”, the “Nomadland” director hopes that individuals get to expertise it in a theatre.

According to IndieWire, Zhao revealed she had simply come from an early screening of Villeneuve’s science-fiction epic throughout an interview for the September 2021 problem of Sight & Sound journal.

Zhao spoke enthusiastically concerning the movie whereas replying to a query about the way forward for the cinematic medium.

“I’m both really hopeful and also really terrified so it varies every day,” the director stated whereas referencing “Dune”.

“It gives me hope that a filmmaker like Denis is able to really harness his vision and put together something that’s so incredible, so cinematic,” Zhao instructed the journal. “I’m just blown away by the experience I had in that room. But I’m terrified about how many people are or aren’t going to have that experience like I did, in a theatre, and what that means for the future.”

Warner Bros. is about to launch ‘Dune’ in theatres on October 22, and it will likely be accessible to stream beginning the identical day on HBO Max.

Like Zhao, Villeneuve additionally needs the movie to be skilled in theatres and had criticised Warner Bros’ choice to launch the movie each theatrically in addition to on their streaming platform.

“There is absolutely no love for cinema, nor for the audience here,” Villeneuve stated in his essay in December final 12 months.

“Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of ‘Dune’s’ scope and scale. Warner Bros.’ decision means ‘Dune’ won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the ‘Dune’ franchise. This one is for the fans. AT&T’s John Stankey said that the streaming horse left the barn. In truth, the horse left the barn for the slaughterhouse,” the director stated.