Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three” passes its first test: early reactions “very positive” ahead of the December 18 premiere

Denis Villeneuve has successfully passed the first test: this week “Dune: Part Three” held its first intimate screenings for small groups, and as Variety reports, the first words coming out of the room are “very positive”. Awards expert Clayton Davis has already included the film in his early season predictions, seeing it with around four possible Golden Globe nominations.

The buzz around the film is not new. Only a few weeks ago, according to World of Reel, Warner Bros. had organised an internal screening of the film, which participants described as “extraordinary”; meanwhile a long, still unfinished cut of more than three hours shown in August is said to have “amazed” those present. Now, with the first voices also outside the studio, the signals are consolidating in a single direction.

“Dune: Part Three” arrives in cinemas on December 18 and adapts Frank Herbert’s novel “Dune Messiah” (1969), closing the epic cycle that Villeneuve began in 2021. If the early reactions are confirmed, this could be the most ambitious and mature chapter of the trilogy.

The showdown for awards season is expected to be epic. According to industry insider Jeff Sneider (The InSneider), the race for best picture will narrow between two colossi: Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” and “Dune: Part Three” — a true clash of titans expected to dominate awards season.

Jason Momoa returns in the role of Duncan Idaho and has not spared praise for Timothée Chalamet, saying his performance could be among the best things anyone has ever seen anyone do. For Villeneuve, the Academy has always been difficult territory: he has been nominated for best director only once, for “Arrival” (2016), and was overlooked for both previous “Dune” films, although they received best picture nominations. With the first reactions so positive, it seems the industry may finally be ready to correct this injustice.