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‘Dune’ Director Denis Villeneuve Breaks Down a Scene | Vanity Fair

Vanity Fair | May 4, 2026



In this episode of “Notes on a Scene,” ‘Dune’ director Denis Villeneuve breaks down the scene where Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is challenged to a test, the Gom Jabbar, to see if his humanity will overcomes his animal impulses. A poisoned needle is held to his neck to incentivize him to complete the test. Denis explains how he built such a tense scene with the layering of an ancient aesthetic and visual effects.

See DUNE in theaters beginning Friday, October 22.

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Comments

This post currently has 47 comments.

  1. @TheQuota2001

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    Last chance to see this in IMAX this year I already got nyc tickets. This director is a genius he pulled this off! Dune is an impossible book. This director made the impossible very possible!
    Tell Timothy shut his mouth closed until the movie comes out don’t mess this up!!

  2. @dal.890

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    I feel like I'm the only person who likes Dune 1 better. Parts of Dune 2 just make me cringe. But visually and sonically it's obviously a masterpiece.

  3. @YannickOkpara-d5l

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    My bet: he's not quite satisfied with the Jamis fight scene – which is an epic scene, but it's even more interesting in the book. I think the same about the Feyd Rautha vs Atreides prisoner in the arena scene.

  4. @sergonioradze

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    Rebecca Fergusson is way too hysterical in this scene, Francesa Annis was much more adequate. In general Francesca Annis is a better Jessica than Fergusson. However, after watching this video I realize that her being bad in this particular scene is actually his fault, he tells the story of how he actually directed her to be hysterical.

  5. @neelsolanki5840

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    The reason denis is my favourite director
    Notice how he always trying to make us feel something which makes these fiction worlds so humane
    And he ALWAYS Always puts the world above the character to show the beauty and horror of what we'll go into

  6. @drdrdr-c8w

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    IL est hyper content de ce qu'il a fait, lui alors 🤣. et nous aussi ! Franchement, j'ai adoré DUNE quand j'étais petite, et je trouve que les films sont encore mieux que ce que j'imaginais !

  7. @thudar9

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    Dune was awful – the second part had a few redeeming qualities – but basically the same hot mess. The greatest sci fi story ever written required an adaptation with the care, and depth of the Godfather. Overall I give it a D minus.

  8. @ArmaVeloce

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    I know that Dennis will not see this comment but I wish I could tell him that his adaptation of Dune is the best film made so far in my life. Truly amazing. I watched the second film in the theatre three times!

  9. @Николай-г5т6ч

    May 4, 2026 at 3:40 am

    The idea of switching between a white background behind the director and a very dark scene is brilliant. My eyes send their best regards to the author of this masterpiece. Special thanks for the freaking white stripes at the top and bottom.

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