Timothee Chalamet: Dune is a spectacle like LOTR in places

Timothee Chalamet says Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ is a “spectacle” like ‘Lord of the Rings’ in some scenes.

The 25-year-old actor takes on the leading role of Paul Atreides in the 54-year-old director’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi cult classic, and the ‘Wonka’ star has teased there are various moments throughout the film that feel like they belong in an epic movie like Peter Jackson’s blockbuster trilogy based on J. R. R. Tolkien’s fantasy novel, while other scenes are more “intimate”.

In an interview with The Independent newspaper, Timothee said: “This is my impression.

“It feels like an arthouse film in some moments; it feels like a spectacle like ‘Lord of the Rings’ in some moments; and then sometimes, somehow, it feels intimate too.”

Denis added in the joint interview with other cast members – including Javier Bardem – that he blocked out all over influences and tried to “stay true” to the “spirit” of the book.

He said: “So many people stole from it and took from it … I understand. It’s such an inspiring masterpiece.

“The only way to deal with that is to go back to the book. I kept the book very close to me and tried to stay true to its spirit.

“The influences in the movie are not sci-fi influences. I tried to go back to the visions I had as a kid when I read the book, and to stay true to those visions.”

The filmmaker recently admitted ‘Dune’ might not have been made if Timothee hadn’t agreed to play Paul, as they had no “Plan B” when it came to casting another actor as the character.

Denis spilled: “We said, ‘It’s Timothee [Chalamet].’ We didn’t have a Plan B. Honestly, if he had said no, I don’t know what I would have done. There would be no ‘Dune’, maybe.”