Javier Bardem can't wait to "go back to the desert" to film Dune 2, or Dune: Part Two, he told a crowd at the Cannes Film Festival this weekend, during a Q&A session with the Spanish actor.
He spoke freely on Denis Villeneuve's Dune sequel, about which not much is yet known.
“I’ve read the new draft and I think they’ve done an amazing job of putting together the pieces in a way that is gonna surprise people," he told a crowd at the Salle Bunuel on Friday, as reported by industry publication Deadline.
Scroll through the gallery below to see the cast of 'Dune':
He said fans won't be surprised by what happens if they've read the book, "but they’ll be surprised by the way they put it together. I was very moved by it. It’s a movie that is full, and you can feel the weight of it, and at the same time ... the spectacularity of it."
Bardem said he'd be happy to go back to the desert, the setting for the film, with Villeneuve, who he described as "one of the greatest directors ever".
The film, which stars Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac and Zendaya, was shot in the Liwa desert in Abu Dhabi in the summer of 2019. The vast open landscape was used as the setting for the planet Arrakis ― a dangerous place known for its exclusive supply of spice, the most essential and valuable commodity in the universe.
Whether or not the sequel will be shot in the UAE is still up in the air. The National understands negotiations are taking place, but neither the Abu Dhabi Film Commission nor twofour54, which handled local production on Dune, have given an official comment. Similarly, Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures have declined to comment, and none of the local crew we reached out to were able to confirm or deny if they’d been approached for Dune: Part Two.
After Dune opened last October to the highest-grossing opening weekend of director Villeneuve’s storied career, it came as no surprise when Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures promptly green-lit a sequel. It achieved a $41 million opening in the US, despite having to contend with the ongoing box office challenges presented by the pandemic and a same-day HBO Max streaming release.
A sequel had always been on the cards, however, as Villeneuve already split Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel in two for his film. It then went on to win six Oscars, the most of any film at the 94th Academy Awards.
Scroll through the gallery below to see all the winners from Oscars 2022:
Details about the sequel are thin on the ground for now. Villeneuve has said the earliest he expects to begin shooting is autumn of this year, and Dune: Part Two has a tentative release date of October 2023.
Those who are familiar with Herbert’s novel can probably predict some key plot points as Paul Atreides (Chalamet) rises to power among the Fremen in the ongoing battle for control of the spice of Arrakis.
Bardem plays Naib Stilgar, governor of Arrakis, in the film.
During the talk at Cannes, which was called Rendezvous with Javier Bardem, the No Country for Old Men actor also discussed a wide range of other topics, including how the industry has changed since his career began in the 1970s.
"When I started, it was different," he said. "You would do a role and you would spend the whole time preparing that role, and you would do the movie. It was a sacred thing, and then it would open and it would create a climate — it would mean something.
"Now, we are going so fast, and I feel sorry for the people who are starting out now. I don’t know what it means to be trying to make movies today as an actor, or director, or producer, or writer, because the rhythm is so different from where I started."
The Pirates of the Caribbean actor also touched on Sean Penn’s critically panned 2016 Cannes competition entry The Last Face, a love story in which Bardem played a relief worker. “It was a disaster," he said with a smile.
“But, let me tell you, it was a great disaster. It’s good to come to a festival like Cannes and be booed and be reminded that what we do can be horrific, because otherwise we think of ourselves too highly."
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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if you go
The flights
Direct flights from the UAE to the Nepalese capital, Kathmandu, are available with Air Arabia, (www.airarabia.com) Fly Dubai (www.flydubai.com) or Etihad (www.etihad.com) from Dh1,200 return including taxes. The trek described here started from Jomson, but there are many other start and end point variations depending on how you tailor your trek. To get to Jomson from Kathmandu you must first fly to the lake-side resort town of Pokhara with either Buddha Air (www.buddhaair.com) or Yeti Airlines (www.yetiairlines.com). Both charge around US$240 (Dh880) return. From Pokhara there are early morning flights to Jomson with Yeti Airlines or Simrik Airlines (www.simrikairlines.com) for around US$220 (Dh800) return.
The trek
Restricted area permits (US$500 per person) are required for trekking in the Upper Mustang area. The challenging Meso Kanto pass between Tilcho Lake and Jomson should not be attempted by those without a lot of mountain experience and a good support team. An excellent trekking company with good knowledge of Upper Mustang, the Annaurpuna Circuit and Tilcho Lake area and who can help organise a version of the trek described here is the Nepal-UK run Snow Cat Travel (www.snowcattravel.com). Prices vary widely depending on accommodation types and the level of assistance required.
Gran Gala del Calcio 2019 winners
Best Player: Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus)
Best Coach: Gian Piero Gasperini (Atalanta)
Best Referee: Gianluca Rocchi
Best Goal: Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria vs Napoli)
Best Team: Atalanta
Best XI: Samir Handanovic (Inter); Aleksandar Kolarov (Roma), Giorgio Chiellini (Juventus), Kalidou Koulibaly (Napoli), Joao Cancelo (Juventus*); Miralem Pjanic (Juventus), Josip Ilicic (Atalanta), Nicolo Barella (Cagliari*); Fabio Quagliarella (Sampdoria), Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus), Duvan Zapata (Atalanta)
Serie B Best Young Player: Sandro Tonali (Brescia)
Best Women’s Goal: Thaisa (Milan vs Juventus)
Best Women’s Player: Manuela Giugliano (Milan)
Best Women’s XI: Laura Giuliani (Milan); Alia Guagni (Fiorentina), Sara Gama (Juventus), Cecilia Salvai (Juventus), Elisa Bartoli (Roma); Aurora Galli (Juventus), Manuela Giugliano (Roma), Valentina Cernoia (Juventus); Valentina Giacinti (Milan), Ilaria Mauro (Fiorentina), Barbara Bonansea (Juventus)
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FIGHT INFO
Men’s 60kg Round 1:
Ahmad Shuja Jamal (AFG) beat Krisada Takhiankliang (THA) - points
Hyan Aljmyah (SYR) beat Akram Alyminee (YEM) - retired Round 1
Ibrahim Bilal (UAE) beat Bhanu Pratap Pandit (IND) - TKO Round 1
Men’s 71kg Round 1:
Seyed Kaveh Soleyman (IRI) beat Abedel Rahman (JOR) - RSC round 3.
Amine Al Moatassime (UAE) walk over Ritiz Puri (NEP)
TOURNAMENT INFO
Opening fixtures:
Friday, Oct 5
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Paktia Panthers
Saturday, Oct 6
4pm: Nangarhar Leopards v Kandahar Knights
8pm: Kabul Zwanan v Balkh Legends
Tickets
Tickets can be bought online at https://www.q-tickets.com/apl/eventlist and at the ticket office at the stadium.
TV info
The tournament will be broadcast live in the UAE on OSN Sports.
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Our legal consultants
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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