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Josh Brolin Defends Denis Villeneuve After Oscar Snub for 'Dune: Part Two'

Published January 23, 2025

The Oscars have expanded the Best Picture category, allowing for 10 nominations, but many other categories remain limited to just five nominees. This makes for a highly competitive atmosphere but also leads to expected snubs. The recent announcement of the Academy Awards nominations has brought attention to box-office successes like Wicked and Dune: Part Two. Despite being nominated for Best Picture, both films did not receive director nominations, which angered many, including Dune star Josh Brolin.

Denis Villeneuve, director of Dune, has yet again missed out on the Best Director nomination. Fans of Dune will remember that he was also passed over for Best Director in 2022, though he did receive nominations for Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay for that year's Dune (which ultimately lost to CODA). His only Best Director nomination so far was for his 2017 film Arrival, where he lost to Damien Chazelle for La La Land.

Brolin, who plays Gurney Halleck in the Dune films, used his Instagram stories to express his disappointment regarding Villeneuve's lack of recognition. According to reports from Variety, he recorded a video where he congratulated the Dune team for their nominations in various categories, such as Best Picture, Best Cinematography for Greig Fraser, and Best Visual Effects.

He went on to state, "Apparently, I'm going to quit acting because Denis Villeneuve didn't get nominated. This process makes no sense to me. That’s okay. Editor Joe Walker, Denis Villeneuve, you deserve it. It’s an amazing film, and I believe it was even better than the first one. I think the people who have received accolades deserve them too. Happy to be a part of it. Congratulations to everyone involved."

Brolin's remark about “quitting acting” harks back to a previous interview he had with Variety in November 2024, where he stated, “If he doesn’t get nominated this year, I’ll quit acting. It was a better movie than the first one. When I watched it, it felt like my brain was broken open. It’s masterful, and Denis is one of our master filmmakers. If the Academy Awards have any meaning whatsoever, they’ll recognize him.” Notably, he had also posted a similar message on social media when Villeneuve did not receive a Best Director nomination for the first Dune.

Looking ahead, there may be another opportunity for Villeneuve and the Dune team to earn accolades with their next project, Dune Messiah. Should Oscar voters overlook Villeneuve again, fans can expect another wave of reactions—likely to be found on Brolin’s Instagram.

Oscars, Villeneuve, Brolin