A video has recently surfaced showing an intimate moment shared between Timothée Chalamet and director Denis Villeneuve during a standing ovation for Dune. First set for release last year, the film has been met with multiple delays as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. However, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has definitively overcome its troubled release schedule and has finally been presented to the public at the Venice Film Festival 2021.
Although these festival screenings enable lucky fans to get a glimpse into the film before anyone else, unfortunately Dune is not scheduled for wide release until mid-October, meaning the general public will have to wait a little while longer. Adapted from Frank Herbert’s 1965 sci-fi novel of the same name, Dune follows Paul Atreides, played by Chalamet, as he fights for control over the desert planet of Arrakis. Alongside Chalamet, the film stars Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Mamoa, Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and Dave Bautista.
It is tradition for festivals to have extended standing ovations for films that have managed to impress the audience and critics, which is exactly what happened following the first screening of Dune. During the standing ovation, the strong bond between the film’s star and director was caught on video, as the pair hug during a moment of congratulatory triumph. Check out the video shot by Ramin Setoodeh below:
According to reports, the standing ovation for Dune lasted six minutes, which has been the longest standing ovation a film has received so far this year at the Venice Film Festival. For comparison, Pablo Larraín’s Spencer received a five-minute standing ovation this year, as did Pedro Almodóvar’s Parallel Mothers, while in 2019, Todd Phillips’ Joker set the record with an eight minute standing ovation. Initial reviews however suggest that not everyone believes the film to be perfect, with many suggesting that although it was grand and full of spectacle, it was not without its disappointments.
One factor that could play into the mixed reviews is that the film is only adapting the first half of Frank Herbert’s novel, resulting in an incomplete story at current. While a second half has been spoken about previously, it has supposedly not been greenlit at this stage. Warner Brothers are likely waiting to see what the reactions are from viewers when Dune finally does get a general release, as well as whether it manages to make a profit at the box office. It seems that whatever happens regarding a sequel, the cast and crew strongly support a continuation of the franchise, and as evident from the video, share a definitive bond from the experiences of making the first entry of Dune.
Source: Ramin Setoodeh
Key Release Dates
- Dune (2021)Release date: Oct 22, 2021
