Dune Director Confirms Theatrical Release Is the "Director's Cut"

Recent years have seen movie fans clamoring for alternate releases of beloved films from what landed in theaters, whether those be extended, director's cuts or more intense, unrated adventures, but Dune director Denis Villeneuve confirms that the version of his new film that will be landing in theaters is the "final" version of the adventure and that there won't be an alternate cut of the film. Jason Momoa, however, added fuel to the speculation fires recently when he expressed his excitement to see everything Villeneuve shot for the film, resulting in rumors that a six-hour version of the film exists.

"Jason is an exuberant being, larger than life in everything he does," Villeneuve shared with La Presse [translated from French]. "He loves the movie, which he has seen four times so far. And every time he calls me to tell me how happy he is. It is true that if [editor] Joe [Walker] and I had let go, we could have done a version [that was several hours long] because I filmed a lot. But the final version is really the one that ends up on the screen. I have never done a director's cut of any of my films."

As if the overall concept of extended or director's cuts wasn't enough to excite fans about a six-hour cut existing, the film comes from Warner Bros., who have earned a reputation for altering a film for its theatrical release. Most famously is surely Justice League, which hit theaters in 2017 with a run time at just two hours, only for Zack Snyder's Justice League to land on HBO Max earlier this year to give a more comprehensive realization of his four-hour narrative. Similarly, David Ayer's 2016 Suicide Squad reportedly underwent drastic changes from initial plans to its theatrical release, with the filmmaker expressing his hope to see his original version realized, though Warner Bros. has shot down that possibility.

A mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who 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-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Dune is currently slated to hit theaters and HBO Max on October 22nd.

Do you wish the film would get a director's cut? Let us know in the comments below!