Quentin Tarantino recently made it clear that he has no plans to watch Denis Villeneuve’s Dune. The Pulp Fiction director spoke on Bret Easton Ellis’ podcast about why Hollywood’s constant remakes and reboots don’t appeal to him. He views these projects as signs of an industry overly focused on revisiting old intellectual property.
During his conversation with Ellis, Tarantino stated his lack of interest in Villeneuve’s adaptations of Frank Herbert’s iconic science fiction series. “I saw [David Lynch’s original adaptation of] Dune a couple of times,” Tarantino stated.
“I don’t need to see that story again. I don’t need to see spice worms. I don’t need to see a movie that says the word ‘spice’ so dramatically.” He stated that he’s already familiar with the narrative and doesn’t see a reason to revisit it, even in a new cinematic form.
The Oscar-winning filmmaker mentioned that it isn’t just Dune he’s avoiding. Tarantino listed other high-profile remakes he has chosen to skip, citing their reliance on well-worn source material. He referred to the trend as “one after another of this remake and that remake,” expressing fatigue with seeing the same stories retold.
Tarantino also shared his thoughts on other well-known properties. When people ask if he’s watched movies or series like Ripley or Shōgun, he consistently responds, “No, no, no, no.” He’s baffled by Hollywood’s decision to repeatedly adapt the same material.
“There’s six or seven Ripley books. If you do one again, why are you doing the same one that they’ve done twice already?” he questioned. The director added, “I’ve seen that story twice before, and I didn’t really like it in either version, so I’m not really interested in seeing it a third time.”
Tarantino shared that he would consider giving these projects a chance if they presented a fresh take or told a different story from the original source. However, he feels uninspired by the current wave of remakes, even when they feature high production values and prominent directors.
The director’s frustrations are not unique. Many film enthusiasts and industry insiders have voiced similar concerns about Hollywood’s reliance on familiar stories. Over the past decade, remakes, reboots, and reimaginings have dominated both big and small screens.
Some upcoming projects that have already attracted significant attention include Luca Guadagnino’s planned remake of American Psycho, Warner Bros. Television’s Harry Potter series, and Emerald Fennell’s adaptation of Wuthering Heights.
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