Director Denis Villeneuve said Saturday that he is putting final touches on the 70mm Imax print of Dune: Part Three while simultaneously starting work on his James Bond film. Speaking at the LACMA Art and Film Gala in Los Angeles, where he was honored, Villeneuve called the third Dune installment a very personal project and the completion of 10 years of work in the desert.
Villeneuve declined to comment on Bond casting speculation on the red carpet, saying every word would be scrutinized, but added that he is having a great time. News broke Friday that Villeneuve and producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman are nearing selection of the new 007, with finalists reportedly including Robert Pattinson, Nicholas Hoult, Callum Turner, Josh O'Connor and Jack Lowden. Inside the gala, Villeneuve began what appeared to be an announcement of the new Bond actor before stopping mid-sentence, joking that producer Amy Pascal was about to have a heart attack.
Actress Nicole Kidman presented Villeneuve with his honor after traveling 15 hours overnight from Australia. Kidman, who has not worked with the director, said she feels she knows the deepest parts of Villeneuve through his films. Actress Anya Taylor-Joy, who appears in Dune: Part Three, said she is excited to see what Villeneuve does with fight sequences in the Bond film, adding that she has worked with four of the five reported finalists.
In his acceptance speech, Villeneuve said Dune: Part Three centers on characters fighting to give their children a better world. He reflected on the importance of human beings continuing to make art together rather than relying on artificial intelligence tools, calling the filmmaking process more important than the result. Dune: Part Three is scheduled to open in theaters in December.