In ‘Dune: Part Two,’ filmmaker Denis Villeneuve realizes a lifetime dream

By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Denis Villeneuve doesn’t feel like he came back to Arrakis for “Dune: Part Two.” In his mind, he never left. The sequel, which opens in theaters on March 1, is the culmination of a six-year filmmaking journey, preceded by 40 years of dreaming about it. And it’s one that Christopher Nolan has already compared to “The Empire Strikes Back.” Villeneuve finally got his “Dune” chance at one of the more turbulent times in Hollywood history, facing two delayed releases due to the pandemic and then the dual Hollywood strikes, an historic shift to streaming and zero guarantee that he would get a “Part Two” at all.