Denis Villeneuve Says ‘Star Wars’ Got ‘Derailed’ by ‘Return of the Jedi’ and ‘There’s No More Surprises’ in the Franchise: ‘I’m Not Dreaming’ of Directing One

Denis Villeneuve has long cited “Star Wars” when discussing his favorite movies as a child, but that doesn’t mean he’d be interested in teaming up with Lucasfilm to make a movie set in a galaxy far, far away. During an interview on “The Town” podcast, the “Dune” filmmaker said directing a “Star Wars” movie is not a dream of his because “Return of the Jedi” derailed the franchise in 1983.

“I was the target audience. I was 10 years old. It went to my brain like a silver bullet. I became obsessed with ‘Star Wars,'” Villeneuve said about George Lucas’ original. “I mean, ‘The Empire Strikes Back’ is the movie that I anticipated the most in my life. I saw the movie a billion times onscreen. I was traumatized by ‘The Empire Strikes Back.’ I adore ‘Star Wars.'”

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“The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with ‘Return of the Jedi,’” he continued. “It’s a long story. I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab and go to L.A. and talk to George Lucas — we were so angry! Still today, the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids.”

Villeneuve argued that, after “Return of the Jedi,” the “Star Wars” franchise “became crystalized in its own mythology, very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I’m not dreaming to do a ‘Star Wars’ because it feels like code is very codified.”

“Star Wars” is out of the question for Villeneuve, as is another iconic space franchise. “I’m not a Trekkie,” the director said when asked about taking on “Star Trek.”

Fortunately, many would already consider Villeneuve an icon of the space genre without having to touch “Star Wars” or “Star Trek.” That’s because of “Dune,” which has brought the director great acclaim in recent years. He’s currently developing a third “Dune” movie to be based on Frank Herbert’s second “Dune” novel, “Dune Messiah.”

“If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy,” the director told Vanity Fair’s “Little Gold Men” podcast earlier this year. “It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”

“Dune Messiah” is set 12 years after the events of the first “Dune” novel, so a film adaptation would likely have to age up Villeneuve’s young cast that includes Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and more. The director said “I know how to do that,” when asked how he plans to age up the cast but did not share details of his plan.

Listen to Villeneuve’s full interview on the “The Town” podcast here.