Denis Villeneuve is set to host a Dune double-header on a giant Imax screen at the upcoming Toronto Film Festival.
On Sept. 10, the Canadian director will introduce a screening of Dune: Part One at the Scotiabank Theatre and, after an intermission, will follow up a screening of Dune: Part Two with a Q&A session. Villeneuve, a frequent visitor to TIFF, is expected to let his festival audience in on his creative process behind bring Frank Herbert’s epic saga to the big screen.
The original Dune film in 2021 starred Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, and Zendaya. Villeneuve’s Dune grossed more than $402 million at the worldwide box office, an impressive number that came amid the pandemic and a day-and-date release on what was then called HBO Max.
The long-delayed Dune: Part Two sequel, running close to three hours and released earlier this year, included the return of Chalamet, Zendaya, Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Brolin, as well as fresh faces Austin Butler and Florence Pugh.
Dune: Part Two picked up right after the first installment, as Chalamet’s Paul Atreides joins forces with the Fremen and seeks revenge against the enemies who murdered his family, possibly saving the universe along the way.
In all, TIFF’s Dune double-header from Legendary and Warner Bros. is expected to run to 400 minutes in length on the downtown Imax screen. Tickets to the public screening will go on sale Aug. 28 and fans will have to pay to see both films as part of the festival package.
The Toronto Film Festival is set to run from Sept. 5 to 15.
