Denis Villeneuve Thinks These Movies Are Visually Perfect
During a directors’ roundtable for The Hollywood Reporter, the Dune helmer confessed that he spent much of his career feeling a strange debt toward the late Pierre Perrault, a titan of Canadian documentary filmmaking. Perrault was a key figure in the 1960s “direct cinema” movement, which was revolutionary for taking cameras off tripods and embedding them into the lives of real people.
Perrault took a liking to Villeneuve right after he finished film school, but the elder director was deeply disappointed by his young protégé’s career path. He was very sad that I was going to do fiction instead of documentary, Villeneuve explained during the discussion. To a purist like Perrault, the very idea of narrative filmmaking was fundamentally dishonest. Villeneuve recalled his mentor’s skepticism toward the art of the make-believe, mimicking Perrault’s disdain: Why are you crying when Catherine Deneuve cries? It’s fake.
Despite choosing the world of sci-fi epics and scripted drama, Villeneuve remains haunted and inspired by Perrault’s raw, authentic style. He credited his time working with the documentarian as a foundational experience that shaped how he views the lens. I always felt like I was the bad son, he joked, noting that he couldn’t resist the pull toward fiction even though he deeply respected the “strong” reality of Perrault’s work.
When asked which cinematic works he would choose to prepare him for death, Villeneuve returned to his roots by selecting Perrault’s legendary trilogy about a small island in Quebec. The series began with the 1963 masterpiece Pour la suite du monde (also known as For Those Who Will Follow), which followed a local fisherman for three years. Villeneuve described the films as a fantastic achievement that remains close to his heart.
The director did not hold back in his praise for the trilogy’s visual and emotional power. There is a trilogy about that island which are amongst the most beautiful movies I have ever seen, he stated. For a man who created the sweeping vistas of Arrakis and the neon-soaked streets of a future Los Angeles, calling a 1960s documentary about fishermen “the most beautiful” is a significant testament to its lasting impact.
Today, Denis Villeneuve is arguably at the peak of his creative influence. He recently wrapped principal photography on Dune: Part Three (based on Dune Messiah) in late 2025, which is currently scheduled for a massive global release on December 18. The film will see the return of Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, with rumors swirling that Robert Pattinson may join the cast in a pivotal new role.
Beyond the sands of Arrakis, Villeneuve has one of the busiest schedules in Hollywood. In a major industry shakeup, it was recently announced that he will direct the 26th James Bond film, with casting expected to begin in the summer of 2026.
Villeneuve’s recent work continues to push the boundaries of theatrical experiences, a cause he championed during his 2025 awards circuit. He remains a vocal advocate for the “power of the theatre,” often lamenting the shift toward streaming-first content. As he prepares to conclude his Dune trilogy and reinvent 007, the “bad son” of documentary film seems to be doing just fine in the world of fiction.
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