Denis Villeneuve is one of the few filmmakers working today that is able to make huge blockbuster films that would firmly fall in the realm of “real cinema.” With features like “Blade Runner 2049” and the upcoming “Dune,” it appears that the filmmaker is able to take a massive budget and not just deliver thrills and suspense. He’s able to inject real emotion and substance in his popcorn flicks. And when you’re someone like Jason Momoa, an actor known best for his action films and superhero muscles, acting in a Denis Villeneuve sci-fi action film comes with an added level of stress.
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Speaking to The New York Times, Jason Momoa talked about working with Villeneuve on “Dune” and what it’s like working with a real auteur on a film that requires more than just amazing action scenes. And you know what? Even the star of a billion-dollar superhero franchise like “Aquaman” gets nervous working with specific filmmakers, especially when he talks about a scene in “Dune” where he has to deliver some serious sci-fi exposition.
“That scene was terrifying,” said Momoa. “I’m like, ‘If you [expletive] this up, Momoa.’ You want to know how I delivered that? I was having the time of my life. Because I’m so stoked to be getting a master class with these actors around me.”
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He added, “And the crazy thing is, I see Denis, he goes up to Javier Bardem, and he’s giving him notes. I’m like, ‘How is he giving him notes?’ He’s giving him notes, he’s coming back and the delivery is even better! I’m the worst at notes. If I don’t come in and know my [expletive], I’m going to get too much in my head. I’m not good in my head. I’ve got to be animalistic, primitive. I’ve got to book it in the first three takes. After that, I’m [expletive]. So I do my stupid jargon and not one note. I’m like, ‘Thank Christ.’”
Momoa is so hyped about the upcoming “Dune,” he doesn’t feel as if the two-plus hour run-time is going to do the story justice. He thinks fans deserve to see Denis Villeneuve’s full vision of the story. (Note: Even though “Dune” is being marketed as a complete story, it’s only adapting one-half of the Frank Herbert novel.) Momoa thinks the upcoming “Dune” should also have an extended cut that covers the full “four-to-six-hour version” of Part 1 of the story.
READ MORE: ‘Dune’ Delayed Three Weeks As WB Juggles More 2021 Release Dates
“You know what they need to do? They need to make the four-to-six-hour version of the first half,” said Momoa. “It’s like, ‘Let’s watch the four-to-five-hour movie like a TV show; I can choose when I want to watch the whole thing.’ I want to see Denis’s whole vision. I don’t want it to be trimmed.”
As a huge fan of “Dune,” I fully support this idea. The biggest issue I have with “Dune,” as is being adapted by Villeneuve and Warner Bros., is the fact that the film only tells half of the story and there’s no guarantee that a sequel will be made. That said, the first half of the “Dune” epic, which will be released in October, should still have plenty of story to fill four-to-six hours, easily. So, why not do a “Lord of the Rings”-style extended cut for HBO Max?
Perhaps if the film is a massive hit at the box office and on HBO Max, WB will be open to the idea of releasing an extended cut? Here’s hoping! “Dune” is set to hit theaters and HBO Max on October 22.