How Denis Villeneuve’s Indie Films Gave Him the Tools to Make his Dream Blockbuster

[@samfilmkid]

Denis is one of the last examples of a success story from a system that really doesn't exist anymore. A filmmaker comes from the independent scene, gets entrusted to make a $30 million movie, then maybe a $60 million movie, then if they want to, a major $100 million tentpole film using all the skills they've honed over making increasingly bigger and bigger projects. Yes, obviously talent is involved but experience is important too! Mid-budget movies were among many other things a stepping stone for filmmakers to hone their skills and gain experience working with bigger budgets and bigger names. But that's all gone now, and studios making tentpole movies tend to either hire veteran directors or younger directors with one or two small movies under their belt because they are easier to control. Sometimes it works out, and other times it's a disaster. I don't even blame the filmmakers much when it is because they don't have the experience and the studio people running it often have no idea at all what they're doing! If Denis was starting out now, he would have gone straight from Incendies to BR2049 or even Dune, and there's no way they would have been as good. I think the cutting of mid-budget movies like Sicario and Prisoners have also hurt tentpole movies in the long run.

[@chickentenders531]

Very good point and useful perspective. I haven't seen it like that before. I never recognized that system of stepping stones for directors in contrast to what is common for tentpole films these days. So many Marvel movies are directed by younger directors who've made one or two indie films, hence why so many Marvel movies have a washed out generic feel, aesthetically.

[@samfilmkid]

@@chickentenders531 I attribute that more to the conveyor belt style of filmmaking the studio enforces on directors

[@jiggymario8161]

All you’re describing is there are over-zealous directors taking projects they have no business directing. Big budget, mid budget, and low budget movies will always exist. It’s just a matter of individuals carefully calculating, not the fault of studios who are willing to go big. This is the best time ever for movies and its apparent with the countless masterpieces made this year alone. Nosferatu, Joker 2, Furiosa, ᑐᑌᑎᕮ 2, i can’t even remember the rest there’s been so many. (And before you try and flame the Joker 2 choice, all I gotta say is that was a fraud check) With technology improving our filmmakers are in tandem. But with the boom Hollywood is and has been experiencing, it’s inevitable that even though we find more great directors that rival the old, we also find new ones that aren’t up to par as has always been the case for all occupations for all of time. If you have faith, think hard and strongly about your moves like Denis has, we can end up with 20 Steven Spielberg level directors at once but it will be a very slow and arduous process. Have faith in cinema, it will not disappoint you. Only the choices you make on where to spend your time and money just like studios do.

[@alexlyublin5647]

Ive seen many Denis Villeneuve interviews, these questions are by far up there with the best! I can see he appreciates it when someone asks him questions that value his early work and how hes learned over time.

[@dariusradu2369]

INCENDIES is a criminally underrated movie and it's up there with Prisoners as my favorite movie of his. If you like Denis's Hollywood movies, you need to check this one. It will destroy you, but in a good way. The burning bus scene itself is a masterpiece.

[@MANIAKRA]

strong agree, I think it's Villeneuve in his purest form: no big name actors, no vfx, no epic scifi to carry the film. Just pure storytelling mastery

[@scottgwild]

Thank you for this interview. It was one of the most thoughtful, vulnerable, and real interviews with Denis that I've seen. Just lovely.

[@stalwartzero7001]

The reason I watched Arrival was to see who the guy taking the helm of Blade Runner was… and he did not disappoint !

[@Psychegaze]

what a grounded human being denis is. amazing director

[@bowi1332]

this interview convinced me to undust my Blu-ray edition of Enemy. I know what I'll watch and rewatch this week.

[@yvngarmz5984]

Fantastic video, very insightful look into his directorial evolution. I can't wait to see him finish his dream with Dune:Messiah and every one of his works to come. Truly one of the modern greats!

[@chickentenders531]

Indeed.

[@MANIAKRA]

beautiful interview

[@stewarts8597]

An amazing talent and human being. Everyting is thoughtful

[@Novastar.SaberCombat]

His work on BR2049 was incredible. I'm glad he was able to get beyond Hollywon't and the janky boolsheet one would be forced to endure.

[@christopherjarrett9067]

Fantastic interview, and I'm only 2/3 through.

[@intuitivefilmanalysis]

I wish there were a bit more specific questions asked. What exactly did you learn in your break? How do you talk to vfx artists? Etc. Anyways, a great video!

[@mhadifilms]

this was great!

[@SpewingNonsense-101]

why did you skip Blade Runner 2049?

[@Foxxvox]

I’ve, noticed (particularly in interviews this year) that DV sidesteps mentioning BR2049. I can’t swear to it, but I’ve gotten the impression from interviews over a couple of years, that he doesn’t feel the sense of ownership he does with maybe Arrival and, then, the Dunes.

[@morganseite9531]

What do you mean? He never directed BR2049

[@johnwayne8494]

@@Foxxvox Both Ridley Scott and Rutger Hauer were critical of it so I think he feels self conscious

[@SpewingNonsense-101]

@@Foxxvox ah gotcha

[@SpewingNonsense-101]

@@johnwayne8494 well that’s a shame because it’s an incredible movie and I was hoping to hear his incite on it

[@mawoj93]

It's interesting about BR yes but the headline is kinda confusing. I honestly thought this is going to be about his Canadian films but this is probably too niche for IW - I'd love to see that tho. Great interview anyway

[@thecomicdirector8417]

denis u are an inspiration

[@pierredm]

What about Johann Johannsson ?

[@yskim2636]

Incendies is his best film. By far.

[@rxcky666]

Where’s blade runner 2049? ☹️

[@pierredm]

To ask is to answer

[@biggestronald]

“How making movies trained Denis Villeneuve to make movies.”

[@musashakhidov6100]

"How making movies made a movie"

[@chickentenders531]

That's basically how it goes in life- for anything

[@seyi.taylor]

Incendies is the most important film of his.

[@alexanderbecker2264]

5:35

[@the-comments-poet]

Abîmes La pluie cogne à ma fenêtre - Instrumentale en déroute Tableau séduisant du chaos À la frontière d’ici et de là Miroirs dans un miroir En dedans - silence glauque L’ennui réconfortant de la torpeur Sans sommeil Paisiblement emmuré dans le noir J’attends à ma fenêtre Je m’accroche - À la frontière Je vis, je meurs, j’espère, je désespère À la fenêtre de mes lendemains À la frontière des aujourd’huis À la frontière De mes icis

[@RaphTowers]

Deeply admiring Denis Villeneuve's talent, I think it was a good choice not to include BR2049, I think it's an achievement that Dennis didn't reach, unfortunately it's a beautiful but soulless film, and I think he's aware of that. BR2049 wasn't up to the level of the original, it didn't achieve the effect of building a timeline, in the original film many talents converged to make a masterpiece and I think that in BR2049 two things were seriously lacking, the script and above all there was a lack of a main character actor, something that was very well achieved in the other DV films.

[@gabyocampo94]

Can't believe they are snubbing his work once again. The awards don't respect audiences and creators, it's ridiculous rewarding something polarizing and tasteless like Emilia Pérez over Dune part 2

[@WhosNick]

$40+ million budget is not indie, hell none of these are really.

[@alexlyublin5647]

I think he was just saying that because its basically an indie film for A-List actor like jake gyllenhaal. Dennis has very high standards and aims to make films on the largest scale possible so maybe he sees 40 mil differently? I dont know

[@flerrrrrrrrrrrp2997]

you realize "indie" is short for "independent" and what they are "independent" of is the big movie studios... right? Like if Elon Musk dropped a whole billion to shoot a movie but the movie was unafiliated with any of the big movie production studios (MGM, Fox, Disney, Lionsgate, I guess Netflix now, etc.) it would still qualify as an indie movie because it is not produced by the best known studios therefore does not have to follow their schisms. But if a $2M student film was produced by Disney, the relative shoestring budget would be a moot point: it's part of the Disney megamachine so it's not an indie film because the students wouldn't have the the last word in post production, Disney would and they would have the movie fit the Disney vibe be priority over whatever the students' artistic vision was. In French we say "cinema d'auteur" (Author movie) to emphasize the importance of the artistic vision of the director and movies being an artform rather than an entertainement industry and "cinema hollywoodien" (Hollywoodian movie) when it's a movie meant to be entertaining (and lucrative) rather than artistic.

[@joergzabbee3921]

Come on...since when is Dune treated like the new Citizen Kane?? I mean Dune 2 was a solid movie and the riding sandworm scene was great but without it was kind of boring.

[@szinyk]

yeah. and hot take: i thought Dune part 1 was good (although not perfect), but part 2 was fairly forgettable.

[@tyandre]

I mean, if you showed citizen Kane to people now, they’d probably think it’s boring. Besides, movies have a weird way of evolving public opinion through the decades. I have no doubt the 2 dune films will be considered a landmark of the 2020’s tho

[@joergzabbee3921]

@tyandre you're right, there are such movies. A good example would be 'Once upon a time in the West' from Sergio Leone. The American audience rejected this film when it came out because people thought (compared to his last movie 'The Good, the Bad and the Ugly) it was too long and boring. I suspect with the two Dune movies it's the other way round. As you can see here in the comments these movies are already treated like 'masterpieces' but they defenitely aren't. Again, they are solid and good films (and perfect on a technically level) and I really enjoyed watching them in the cinema but I will never watch them again. To be frank and blasphemic I think the only asset Dune has to offer are the giant sandworms. Another reason why these films are rated so high is the current lack of decent quality movies, caused by the corona black whole and the strikes in the movie industry.

[@JeffreyCombs69]

this dude genuinely looks like Epstein ngl

[@redcomet0079]

*ᕲ ᑘ ᑎ ᕮ Part Two is the best film of 2024* 🌌