Why does Quentin Tarantino refuse to watch Denis Villeneuve's Dune? Explained 

Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part 1 and 2 have become two of the most popular and critically acclaimed movies of recent times. The epic science fiction films are based on the novel series by Frank Herbert that was first released in 1963 in a serialized form.

Since then, the story of Paul Atreides and Arrakis has become an integral part of American literature and culture. The story was first adapted into a film by David Lynch in 1984 and was later turned into a video game and a television miniseries. However, Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film adaptation and its 2024 sequel made Dune a global phenomenon.

Despite being one of the most critically acclaimed films of recent times, maverick filmmaker Quentin Tarantino expressed a lack of interest in watching the films.

The Django Unchained director appeared in the Bret Easton Ellis podcast and said that he hasn't seen Villeneuve's Dune films and doesn't plan to because he has already seen David Lynch's film twice, and doesn't feel the need to see the same story again.

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Quentin Tarantino talked about Dune on The Bret Easton Ellis podcast

Quentin Tarantino is known for his encyclopedic knowledge of films and regularly shares his opinion about popular and often under-popular films. He recently appeared on season 8 episode 40 of the Bret Easton Ellis podcast, which was released on October 22, 2024, and upon being asked, shared his reason for not seeing Denis Villeneuve's acclaimed Dune film series.

He said he already knows the story as he has seen David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation a couple of times, and doesn't want to see the same story again. He also added that he doesn't need to see a movie that uses the word 'spice' so dramatically.

"I don’t need to see that story again. I don’t need to see spice worms. I don’t need to see a movie that says the word 'spice' so dramatically," he asserted.

Tarantino revealed that he didn't like the story either time he watched the film, so he is not interested in seeing it a third time. However, if another story is added, that would be interesting for him to give it a shot.

"I’ve seen that story twice before, and I didn’t really like it in either version, so I’m not really interested in seeing it a third time. If you did another story, that would be interesting enough to give it a shot anyway,” he added.

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What is Dune about?

Dune is based on the Frank Herbert novel series of the same name. It is mostly set on a desert planet named Arrakis that has been exploited for a precious mineral called 'spice'. It follows a young prince Paul Atreides, of the noble House Atreides, who is hunted after his father's death.

He faces political intrigue and betrayal but manages to make allies with the mysterious natives of Arrakis called the Fremen, who believe in a prophecy that a savior, Lisan-al-Gaib, would come and lead them to triumph.

Dune was inspired by many people and places, more specifically T.E Lawrence, who helped in the Arab revolt, the Native American cultures, and the Arab history with the religion of Islam. The novel and film series explore politics, power, religion, etc, through a futuristic and mythical tale.

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Who is in the cast of Denis Villeneuve's Dune?

• Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
• Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
• Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides
• Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
• Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
• Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban
• Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet Kynes
• Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat
• Zendaya as Chani
• Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh
• Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam
• Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho
• Javier Bardem as Stilgar
• David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries
• Babs Olusanmokun as Jamis
• Golda Rosheuvel as Shadout Mapes
• Roger Yuan as Lieutenant Lanville

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Depending on location, Dune, parts 1 and 2 are available for streaming on various platforms. Viewers in the United States can watch it on Max and Prime Video.