I wrote this a few weeks back in regards to "Blade Runner 2049" under-performing at the box-office:
"Folks, sometimes the stars don't align for a smartly crafted blockbuster. "Blade Runner 2049," despite incredible reviews, is crashing and burning at the Box-Office. You say "but $30+ million opening weekend, that's pretty solid" I say, the budget of the film, depending on who you speak to, was anywhere between $150-$170 Million. Its tally total of $82M so far just doesn't cut it. Despite the A- CinemaScore grade, and the 88% score on Rotten Tomatoes but what we're looking at right now is a risk that didn't pay off. A $150M art-house sequel to a cult film with a running time stretching close to the three-hour mark. How did we not expect this?"
Denis Villeneuve has finally sounded off on the lack of box-office success in an interview with with Yahoo Entertainment:
“I’m still digesting it. We had the best [critics’ reviews]. I’ve never had a movie welcomed like that. At the same time the box office in the United States was a disappointment, that’s true, because those movies are expensive. It will still make tons of money, but not enough.”
“I think because maybe people were not familiar enough with the universe. And the fact that the movie’s long [its run time is 2 hours, 44 minutes]. I don’t know. It’s still a mystery to me. I make movies — I don’t sell them.”
Yeah, no kidding Sherlock. Who seriously thought this movie was gonna be a success?! The original 1982 "Blade Runner" wasn't a hit either, it only gained cult status in the ensuing decade, most notably because of its 1992 director's cut.
After "Incendies," "Blade Runner 2049," "Sicario" and 'Arrival," I will watch a Cymbalta commercial directed by this guy, but the fact that after this disappointment, Legendary Pictures is giving Villeneuve the freedom and budget to tackle something as un-mainstream as "Dune" is dumbfounding.
It has been rumored for a while that Legendary Pictures had been courting Villeneuve for their upcoming Dune reboot. It was finally revealed, just a few months back, by Brian Herbert (son of Dune author Frank Herbert), on twitter no less, that the contracts had been signed, and Villeneuve would be directing the film. This is all very exciting news considering David Lynch's lackluster 1984 version was a tremendous disappointment to most of the book's hardcore fans and that a Dune movie has been rumored for decades now. If there's a director that could pull it off, maybe it's Villeneuve. The director had this to say about the upcoming project:
“David Lynch did an adaptation in the ’80s that has some very strong qualities. I mean, David Lynch is one of the best filmmakers alive, I have massive respect for him. But when I saw his adaptation, I was impressed, but it was not what I had dreamed of, so I’m trying to make the adaptation of my dreams.”
“It will not have any link with the David Lynch movie, I’m going back to the book, and going to the images that came out when I read it.”
Lynch's "Dune" is well-known as one of the worst flops in Hollywood history and, more importantly, one of the worst studio movies ever made. It's almost unwatchable. I don't think I've ever been able to go through its entirety. I've tried, because I would like to think of myself as a Lynch completest, but good God is it bad. Go back to making original stories Denis, please.