It's a travesty that the Oscars has snubbed Denis Villeneuve twice in a row, but Dune 3 could be his Return of the King

The Oscars 2025 nominations are here and they've brought their usual snubs and surprises with them. The one that stood out to me the most – besides Denzel Washington not securing a nod for his villainous turn in Gladiator 2 – was Denis Villeneuve once again being passed over for Best Director.

Frank Herbert's novel has long been thought of as extremely difficult to adapt, but Villeneuve – following in the footsteps of the late David Lynch – did the impossible not once but twice. Dune: Part Two was my favorite film of 2024 (and GamesRadar+'s best movie of 2024, too) and I was blown away by its sheer cinematic scope, epic action, and stunning performances. None of that would've made it to the screen without a superlative director at the helm, and it's clearer now than ever before that Villeneuve is a master of his craft. So, why is the Academy so reluctant to nominate him for his directing work on Dune?

Villeneuve was also passed over for a directing nod with the first Dune movie, which I was baffled by at the time too. While I suspected the same thing might happen again, I was seriously hoping this would be the year that Villeneuve's incredible work would be recognized.

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I'm not alone in thinking so either, with Dune 2 star Josh Brolin going as far as to say he'd "quit acting" if Villeneuve didn't get nominated ("That gives me a tremendous amount of responsibility, putting all of that on my shoulders! Thanks Josh, that’s embarrassing! I mean if Josh does decide to quit acting, it will be my responsibility to fight him on it," Villeneuve told us in response).

One more chance

However, Villeneuve is returning to Arrakis for one last Dune movie (saying it would be "unhealthy" to return again afterwards). There's precedent for the director of sweeping epics finally being recognized for their trilogy’s closing chapter – Peter Jackson. He didn't secure a Best Director win until Lord of the Rings: Return of the King, though he was nominated for The Fellowship of the Ring. Could Villeneuve also be third time lucky?

Time will tell, but it's hard to call. After all, Dune: Messiah is set to be considerably weirder than its predecessors, which might make it too unpalatable for the Academy. Jackson was also rightfully recognized for the first Lord of the Rings movie, even if he didn't win.

Of course, the Academy hasn't completely overlooked Villeneuve either. He is nominated as a producer as part of the film's Best Picture nomination – much like how Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie secured Oscars nods last year for Barbie via the Best Picture nomination, despite neither of them being nominated solo in Best Director or Best Actress. And, let's not forget Villeneuve was nominated for Best Director back in 2017 for Arrival.

The Academy clearly has no issue with Villeneuve himself, then, and the double Dune snub instead seems to be the director simply being overlooked. It's a fiercely competitive category, and, with 10 Best Picture slots but only five Best Director slots, directors are sadly always going to miss out on well-deserved nominations.

It's a real shame once again, but here's hoping Villeneuve's incredible work bringing the world of Dune to life can finally be honored fully when Dune: Messiah eventually makes it to the big screen.

Keep up to date with this year's releases with our guide to the most exciting upcoming movies.