While he might not be a Marvel Cinematic Universe fan in general, Dune director Denis Villeneuve is looking forward to Chloé Zhao's Eternals movie.
As part of their discussion for Harpers Bazaar, Villeneuve and Zhao shared their mutual respect for one another. “You know, when I went to pitch Eternals, I had stills from your films as references,” Zhao told Villeneuve. “I’m naturally drawn to filmmakers who have a very strong hand in world-building. When I watch your films, even though they’re of different genres, from Sicario to Arrival to Prisoners and then Blade Runner 2049, you managed to build such visceral worlds I can feel and almost touch.”
Villeneuve was equally unbridled in expressing his admiration for Zhao, telling her, "I’m your biggest fan. I think it’s genius that Marvel approached you because you’re the radical opposite of [the MCU] aesthetically. When I saw The Rider for the first time, I was blown away. I wrote a note to you -- an artistic love letter. What touched me was your insane skill to be able to approach life. Life is so afraid of the camera. When I saw The Rider, I cried because I was like, 'She did it. She was able to go in that zone that I thought was not possible.' I wonder how you can invite life in a Marvel movie."
As the last part of his comment suggests, Villeneuve holds a far more critical view of the MCU approach to moviemaking. “The problem today... Well, if we’re talking about Marvel, the thing is, all these films are made from the same mold," he said while making the press rounds for Dune. "Some filmmakers can add a little color to it, but they’re all cast in the same factory. It doesn’t take anything away from the movies, but they are formatted."
The trailers for Eternals have invited comparisons to Zhao's work on films like Nomadland and The Rider, as far as their pastoral imagery and on-location landscape shots go. But Marvel Studios VP of Production & Development Nate Moore has indicated the connections run deeper than that. "Chloé’s interested in telling stories about outsiders who find themselves adrift in new worlds. Nomadland and Eternals both share that DNA," said Moore back in August. "Nomadland doesn’t have the same bells and whistles as Eternals, but it has the same thematic resonance."
Whereas Dune will open day and date in theaters and on HBO Max on Oct. 22, Eternals is getting a theatrical-exclusive run thanks to Shang-Chi's success at the box office. The film arrives on Nov. 5.
Source: Harpers Bazaar, via The Playlist