"Comedy for kids"— Dune director Denis Villeneuve explains how Return of the Jedi "derailed" his interest in Star Wars

Dune director Denis Villeneuve opened up about why he's not interested in directing Star Wars movies, stating that he fell out of love with the franchise many years ago. Villeneuve explained to Matthew Belloni during an appearance on The Town podcast on Wednesday, November 27, that he loved the franchise at one point.

He said he became "obsessed" with Star Wars when he was 10 years old, describing the franchise as a "silver bullet" that went right to his brain. Villeneuve also recalled being "traumatized" by Empire Strikes Back, which he claimed he saw "a billion times onscreen."

However, the trilogy's conclusion— Return of Jedi— put him off Star Wars movies altogether.

"The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi. It's a long story. I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab and go to L.A. and talk to George Lucas—we were so angry! Still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids," he said.

The Dune filmmaker explained everything that he thought was wrong with the film, saying that the franchise had become "crystallized in its own mythology" since that movie. He called it "dogmatic" and said that the story appeared predictable, like a "recipe," and that there were "no more surprises" that could excite the viewers.

"I'm not dreaming to do a Star Wars because it feels like code is very codified," he added.

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Dune director Denis Villeneuve shares projects he likes and doesn't like to do

Besides explaining why fans shouldn't wait for him to direct a Star Wars movie, Denis Villeneuve shared some ideas of projects he likes to do, and those he's not fond of. Elsewhere in the podcast, the Canadian director says he also has zero interest in directing a Star Trek movie. He kept his explanation short, saying:

"I'm not a Trekkie."

Denis Villeneuve also shared that he has no interest in directing movies for streaming services like Netflix. He prefers creating films for the bigger screens.

"The big screen is part of the language, to share a story together, to receive the communal emotional experience of cinema in a theater," he noted.

He also thinks that the theater experience will come out on top.

"We're not meant to be alone, we're meant to share together... I believe the theater experience will prevail," he added.

Villeneuve has turned the Dune franchise into a success, with the second installment released this year, Dune: Part Two, earning over $700 at the global box office. But as far as the movie projects he wants to be a part of in the future, the Dune filmmaker said that he wants to switch from making another franchise to creating individual unique movies.

There's however, still one more franchise film for Denis Villeneuve to work on: the third installment of the Dune series. Warner Bros. has started working on the development of Dune: Messiah, but there is still no confirmation of when the next installment will drop in movie theaters.

The company confirmed in June that a new Denis Villeneuve movie will launch on December 18, 2026. Plot details have not yet been shared.