Why Denis Villeneuve Has Zero Interest In Directing Star Wars Or Star Trek

Denis Villeneuve may be one of the most respected directors working today, particularly when it comes to his work in the sci-fi space, but don't expect him to take a trip to a galaxy far, far away any time soon. The filmmaker behind "Dune" and "Arrival" has made it pretty clear that he has little or no interest in directing a "Star Wars" movie. Nor is he interested in boldly going to the "Star Trek" universe either, for Trekkies who were perhaps holding out hope.

Villeneuve is currently busy developing "Dune Messiah," which will be his third and final entry in that franchise. Given that Frank Herbert's "Dune" was an inspiration for George Lucas' "Star Wars," it should come as no surprise that Villeneuve is a fan of the franchise, but only up to a point. In a recent interview on "The Town" podcast, the filmmaker revealed that, in his view, it all went awry in 1983 when "Return of the Jedi" came out:

"The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi. It's a long story. I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab and go to L.A. and talk to George Lucas — we were so angry! Still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids...Star Wars became crystallized in its own mythology, very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I'm not dreaming to do a Star Wars because it feels like code is very codified."

Villeneuve previously made it clear that he believes "The Empire Strikes Back" is peak "Star Wars." After that? He's evidently not a fan. He doesn't like the Ewoks. He's not alone there. Nor is he alone in believing that "Return of the Jedi" is a step down. At the same time, there are plenty who would disagree with his general sentiment. "Return of the Jedi" is my personal favorite "Star Wars" movie. But don't take my word for it. "The Force Awakens" star John Boyega also lists it as his favorite "Star Wars" saga entry. Calling it a "comedy for kids" is a little bit reductive, in my humble opinion. Though, for what it's worth, Lucas has also been clear over the years that "Star Wars" was intended to be for kids. So there's that.

When it comes to "Star Trek," Villeneuve's words were short, if not sweet. "I'm not a Trekkie," he said plainly in the same interview. So don't expect him to be putting his stamp on that franchise either. Then again, J.J. Abrams was, by his own admission, not a big "Star Trek" fan before he directed the 2009 big screen reboot of the franchise, which was quite successful. Abrams then went on to direct "Star Wars: The Force Awakens."

Speaking a bit further about "Star Wars," Villeneuve explained how he came to the film in 1977. He was the right age and the first movie came out at just the right time to turn him into a die-hard fan:

"I was the target audience. I was 10 years old. It went to my brain like a silver bullet. I became obsessed with Star Wars. I mean, The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that I anticipated the most in my life. I saw the movie a billion times onscreen. I was traumatized by The Empire Strikes Back. I adore Star Wars."

As for the future, Disney and Lucasfilm are finally bringing "Star Wars" back to the big screen in 2026. While there are many movies currently in development, Jon Favreau's "The Mandalorian and Grogu" will be the first one up in May 2026. Simon Kinberg is also currently developing a new trilogy, while James Mangold is working on a film that will be set at the dawn of the Jedi.

"Dune 3" remains without a release date. In the meantime, you can catch up with the first two films on 4K, Blu-ray or DVD via Amazon.