Oscars 2022: Why ‘Dune’ Should Be a Serious Best Picture Contender (But Probably Won’t Win)
When the 2022 Oscars air on March 27, viewers will hear some movie titles mentioned more than others. Dune will be among them.
Denis Villeneuve’s well-received sci-fi epic racked up 10 nominations, including adapted screenplay and best picture. He has stiff competition to win the latter category, but he wouldn’t be in the top 10 for the Academy Awards if he wasn’t a serious contender. the snubbed academy Dune in the prestige categories, and while he has a shot at winning best picture, his chances are probably as good as an unprepared spice picker versus a sandworm.
the snubbed academy Dune in the categories of best director and acting
When the academy revealed its nominees for the 2022 Oscars, Dune he received his fair share of nods. It is among the 10 films competing for best picture and is nominated for statuettes in nine other categories:
- Cinematography
- Make-up
- Costume Design
- Movie Editing
- Production design
- Music (original score)
- Dream
- Visual effects
- adapted screenplay
However, the nominations did not come in any of the prestige categories. Villeneuve is not in the running for best director, Timothée Chalamet is not among the best actors, and Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya are excluded in the actress categories.
Villeneuve not earning a nomination for directing is baffling, and in a perfect world, Dune probably they should be on the shortlist to win best film. This is why.
Why Dune should be a serious contender to win best picture at the Oscars
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Writers, producers, directors and film studios have repeatedly tried to bring the work of author Frank Herbert Dune to the big screen. Most of those attempts have been unsuccessful or disappointing. The source material is layered, the world building is exhaustive, and the interlocking themes are complex.
It’s not an easy book to turn into a movie.
Alejandro Jodorowsky had big plans in the 1970s for an epic production, a soundtrack composed by Pink Floyd and an hour-long run. It never got past the planning and remains one of the best movies ever made.
Director David Lynch brought his version to the big screen in 1984, but the theatrical release received mixed reviews. The film grossed $30.9 million at the box office on a budget of $40 million.
A pair of television miniseries in the early 2000s came closer to Herbert’s vision, but the special effects couldn’t quite match a big-budget production.
Villeneuve deserves credit for creating a successful version of Dune that can make money ($400 million at the box office and counting) remains among the best movies of 2021.
He shot desert scenes on location in Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The production also toured Europe and traveled to Norway with live shoots. Between the complexity of the story and the unpredictability of the location shoot, it’s a wonder Villeneuve brought Dune to the big screen and even felt at peace doing it.
Dune it has a lot going for it, but probably not enough to win best picture.
The odds are against the sci-fi epic winning best picture.
When it comes to the Academy Awards, sci-fi movies don’t usually compete for best picture, so the odds are already stacked against them. Dune.
science fiction movies like Star Wars, Eastern Time, Avatar, District 9, Startand of Villeneuve Arrival have garnered nominations for best picture, but none have won.
Real life odds are also not in DuneAccording to Vegas Insider, it’s firmly in the middle of the pack when it comes to odds. the power of the dog is at -155 (bet $155 to win $100), with CODA the closest competitor at +130. Dune sits at +5,000 odds.
With 10 nominations in total, Dune is unlikely to walk away from the Oscars empty-handed, but winning best picture seems like a long shot.
Box office figures courtesy of Box Office Mojo. Odds courtesy of Vegas Insider as of March 23, 2022.
