Far out on desert sands of Abu Dhabi *cough* I mean ‘Arrakis’, actors Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista and Dune 2 director Denis Villeneuve pull up to a half-emerged manmade sandworm. The prop is actually quite convincing and, had I been five years old, would’ve been rather terrifying.
Directorial visionary, Villeneuve, returned to Abu Dhabi – which posed as the fictional Arrakis for the second time – to film the sequel to 2021’s Dune, and the follow-up is, as many anticipated, bigger, more fleshed out, and as close to perfect as a cinematic sci-fi adventure can get. Despite its release being delayed, resulting in understandable protest across the internet, for those yet to have seen it (which is probably everyone), you’ll be relieved to know that it was well worth the wait.
Amid the Abu Dhabi sand dunes, Esquire Middle East caught up with Brolin, Bautista, and Villeneuve for, well, less of a formal interview and more just four dudes riffing on each other with the occasional cinematic anecdote thrown in…
Esquire: Hey guys, congrats on Dune 2. We have so many questions for you all, so let’s start with the most pressing: Dave, in the gym, are you doing volume or intensity?
Denis Villeneuve: Hey! Why didn’t you ask me that question? [Laughs]
Dave Bautista: People don’t realise this, but I don’t work hard to be big and muscular, I work hard to be…small.
Josh Brolin: So do I! Difference is, Dave is failing miserably at it.
DB: I’m serious! This is a small version of me. Less than a year ago I was 312 pounds.
JB: Three hundred and twelve pounds? What the hell – are you kidding? Funny enough, when I met Dave, he actually weighed 830 pounds.
You were very funny in Guardians of the Galaxy, but now you seem to be leaning more toward serious roles. What do you prefer?
DB: Oh, serious, all day. I don’t know why people think I’m funny.
JB: Funny looking, maybe.
Josh, you first worked with Denis on Sicario nearly ten years ago. How has your relationship, and his directing style, changed over the years?
JB: There’s a lot of sh*t talking now! No, but Sicario was one of the greatest film experiences ever. And so when they offered me Dune I immediately said ‘yes’. They said “we’ll send you the script,” and I said “no need”. He’s one of the most sensitive directors I’ve ever worked with, and yet his capacity is still untapped.
DV: Technically, this movie is by far the most challenging film I’ve ever made.
And has your directing style changed from, say, Polytechnique (2009) to now?
DV: The nerves, the anxiety, everything is still there. But now it’s just on a much grander scale.
Is there a book that has yet to be adapted to the big screen that you are eager to see? And if so, in a perfect world, who would direct it, and who would star in it?
DV: Oh no, no that is too big of a question! I need way more time to think about it.
JB: That question is bigger than Dune!
DV: But I will say this, if there is ever something that I am dreaming to see, this will sound very arrogant, but of course, I would want to direct it myself.
Dune: Part Two comes to theatres on February 29, 2024 in the UAE and Lebanon for an exclusive week of previews, followed by general release across the region on April 11, 2024.
