Is ‘Dune: Part Two’ Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Empire Strikes Back’? He feels that he never left Arrakis

Denis Villeneuve doesn’t feel like he came back to Arrakis for “Dune: Part Two.” In his mind, he never left.

The sequel, which opens in theaters on March 1, is the culmination of a six-year filmmaking journey, preceded by 40 years of dreaming about it. Realizing Frank Herbert’s novel for the big screen is a feat that has bested and befuddled some of the greats, including David Lean, Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch, the only one who actually got to make a film, which was such a flop that its two sequels were quickly abandoned.

Villeneuve finally got his chance at one of the more turbulent times in history, facing two delayed releases (one because of the pandemic, the other because of the Hollywood strikes ), an