Denis Villeneuve’s Dune 2 was a huge hit upon theatrical release and is enjoying another experience in life after its streaming release. In a new interview with The New York Times, Villeneuve answered questions about his film, mythology, character arc, creative decisions, and even some light questions about the lovable Stilgar, played by Javier Bardem. Also included in. (Also read: Dune: Part Two movie review – Denis Villeneuve’s edgy follow-up is effective insofar as it harnesses the power of the desert,
Stilgar, a Messiah-worshipping, naive but wholesome Freeman, immediately became a fan favorite. A stand-in for an innocent religious fanatic, his constant chants of ‘Listen-al-Ghab’, reverence for Paul Atreides and just a stately, warm demeanor endeared him to everyone who saw the film. Dennis says he is happy with the love Stilgar has received.
‘He has a big heart’
“I feel very happy when you say he is a tragic person. To me he is the saddest person. The idea of bringing humor to Stilgar was to make him lovable, to feel the humanity in that character. He is not a strict person, he has a big heart. But their beliefs, their faith, their reactions bring humor – and I love making sci-fi films, because I can talk about it without offending people because it’s a fake religion. I designed all the prayers myself, so I know it’s fake. I find Stilgar very funny. And when people laugh, I’m happy because that was the intention,” Dennis said.
looking for the messiah
“All his life he has grown up with the same dream (of finding the Messiah). So I suggest that whenever someone comes in from the outside with a lot of charisma, he hopes he’s got it. Like the Bible, we have a lot of prophets before Jesus came,” Dennis explained Stilgar’s passion for believing in Paul as a messiah (lishan-al-gaib).
Dune 2 stars Timothée Chalamet in the lead role and stars Zendaya, Austin Butler, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh in supporting roles. It is based on the acclaimed science-fiction novels of Frank Herbert. Dennis is currently writing the third part, Dune: Messiah.
