Dune 2021 and Dune 1984 Both Nominated for the Same Oscar
The Academy Award nominations were announced on Tuesday and one of the films that received a significant number of nominations is Denis Villeneuve's Dune. The Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary co-production earned 10 total nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. But in an interesting turn of events, the 2021 film received a nomination that the 1984 film adaptation of Dune also received: Best Sound.
The 1984 Dune, which was written and directed by David Lynch and starred Kyle MacLachlan wasn't exactly a critical or box office success. The film was a box office bomb, grossing just $30.9 million compared to its $40 million budget, and critics were pretty harsh about the film as well. However, the film did get a Best Sound nomination. Dune ultimately lost out to Amadeus, which also won Best Picture and Best Director among other Academy Awards that year. Villeneuve's Dune is up against Belfast, No Time to Die, The Power of the Dog, and West Side Story for Best Sound.
In addition to Best Sound, Dune is up for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Costume Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects. The film wasn't nominated in the Best Director category, however, something that Villeneuve responded to in a recent chat with Movie Maker.
"Frankly, if you had told me a few months ago that we'd be in the Oscar race, that we'd have that kind of recognition, I would have not believed you. It's really moving," the director shared. When asked about not receiving a Best Director nom, he added, "If you're nominated, it's a beautiful thing... I don't take things for granted, and I was deeply pleased with what we got."
Dune's synopsis reads, "Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence, only those who can conquer their own fear will survive."
Following Dune's success at the box office, Warner Bros. Pictures quickly greenlit Dune: Part Two, which will tell the second half of Herbert's story. The film is scheduled for release in 2023.
Dune is now available on home media. The 94th Academy Awards air on ABC on March 22nd.