Opening up to rave reviews from fans and critics while also racking up an estimated $40 million opening weekend at the U.S. box office, Denis Villeneuve's Dune continues to receive much praise for its groundbreaking achievements, and fellow visionary filmmaker Christopher Nolan also contributed his thoughts about the film.

Based on the beloved 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, Dune became regarded by many fans over the years as impossible to adapt into a film due to the major complexity and heftiness of the source material. Now combining the new advancements in film technology with a very talented cast and crew, Nolan, who is preparing for a long shoot on his upcoming Oppenheimer feature in early 2022, believes that the film was finally able to do Herbert's intended vision (or only half of it) justice.

RELATED: Dune Review

“It’s one of the most seamless marriages of live-action photography and computer-generated visual effects that I’ve seen,” Nolan told Villeneuve for a recent episode of The Director’s Cut podcast. “It’s very, very compelling at every turn. Your entire team did an absolutely incredible job. I think this film is going to introduce a whole new generation of fans to ‘Dune’ who have never read the book or encourage fans to go read the book. I think it’s an incredible piece of work. I’ve had the luxury of seeing it a couple times now, and each time I watch it I discover new things, new details to the world. The way in which it’s made is for the big screen. It’s a real pleasure and a real gift to film fans everywhere," Nolan continued.

Dune-sandworm-2

That is some big praise coming from the man behind technical achievements such as Inception, Interstellar, and Tenet. Nolan has been an avid admirer of the big screen, favoring film over digital photography and believing that theatres are how audiences should experience the countless unique stories presented. The award-winning director has inspired numerous other filmmakers, like Villeneuve, who shared a similar rave for Nolan's mind-bending Tenet. "I was blown away by ‘Tenet,’ I think it’s a masterpiece. I think it’s a movie that’s an incredible cinematic achievement. I think that it’s a very complex movie, I had so much fun, I saw it several times and each time it was a blast and I think the level of mastery of Christopher Nolan is unmatched," Villeneuve said to the Reel Blend podcast.

Although Dune seems to be another sci-fi classic (as it is most likely now the frontrunner for best visual effects and other technical awards at the upcoming Oscars), there is no guarantee that part 2 will be made, since Villeneuve's film only traces half of the novel. As to why he didn't shoot the sequel back-to-back, (other than the challenges caused by the COVID-19 pandemic), Villeneuve pointed back to his other sci-fi blockbuster, Blade Runner 2049, admitting that because the film wasn’t a box office success, so Warner Bros. was hesitant on investing in a sequel. However, he turned out to be grateful it happened the way it did due to the immense workload. Nolan added his love for the film, calling 2049 an incredible piece of work.

Although much frustration between both Villeneuve and Nolan has been expressed towards Warner Bros.' hybrid model of having its 2021 slated films premiere on the HBO MAX streaming service simultaneously with their theatrical release (with Nolan eventually parting ways with the studio and teaming with Universal instead), Dune's early success at the box office proves moviegoers' demand for these stories that are helmed with such passion and care.

Dune is currently playing in theatres and is available to stream on HBO MAX.

MORE: 9 Sci-Fi Movies You Should Watch If You Loved Dune

Source: The Director's Cut (via IndieWire), Reel Blend.