One of the most accomplished directors today, Denis Villeneuve’s audacious visions make every frame a marvel to behold. Most of his films are dark and cerebral, featuring characters having an existential crisis in a complex world. Villeneuve frequently operates in gritty dramas or expansive science fiction stories with plots that explore the worst of humanity, such as “Prisoners,” “Arrival,” and “Sicario.”
His latest film brings Frank Herbert’s mythical “Dune” to life. The science-fiction epic was nominated for ten Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Cinematography, Best Visual Effects (but, unfortunately, not Best Director). Villeneuve’s images are detailed and comprehensive in scope, creating an equally awe-inspiring and frightening world.
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With such a prolific and consistently gloomy output, it’s hard to imagine Denis Villeneuve making any other kind of film. However, he recently told Variety’s Awards Circuit Podcast that he would be interested in exploring other genres. “Yes, I would love one day to turn and do something totally different,” he told the host Clayton Davis. Villeneuve revealed a “very old secret” wish of his to have writer/director Adam McKay (“Vice,” “Don’t Look Up”) write him a “dark comedy.”
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When explicitly asked if there were any musicals he was interested in directing — especially one from his childhood — Villeneuve replied that he would choose the French-Canadian cyberpunk rock opera “Starmania” from the late 1970s.
“Starmania” sounds quite eccentric, a postmodernist work set in the near future when the Western world is a single country. It follows three parallel love stories that include several LGBTQ characters. The protagonists face uncertainty in the big city, along with themes of terrorism and totalitarianism.
It would be fascinating to see Villeneuve tackle a cynical McKay satire or bizarre futuristic musical. Perhaps his next project will see him stepping outside his comfort zone and expanding to these other genres, but then again, after “Dune: Part Two,” and from the sounds of this podcast, “Cleopatra” and “Rendevous With Rama” are projects he’s definitely still very serious about making.