Ten minutes with Denis Villeneuve

This story originally appeared in URBANIA, an online magazine based in Quebec focused on pop culture and society, on March 10, 2024. Readers should note that while the director talks about taking a break after his blockbuster success with Dune, it has been revealed that he will direct the next James Bond film.

Denis Villeneuve has had a big week.

Two and a half years after the colossal success of his Dune adaptation, the Quebecois director was in town to present the grand premiere of its highly anticipated (and very successful) sequel. Even though he may be the most in-demand person in Hollywood these days, he carved out (with the help of a few helpful intermediaries) a mere ten minutes in his schedule to answer my questions about the creation of what might well be his best film yet.