Dune's Denis Villeneuve has no interest in directing Star Wars and it's partly down to Return of the Jedi making him "so angry" in 1983: "It seemed like a recipe, no more surprises"

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Dune director Denis Villeneuve once loved Star Wars, but was let down by Return of the Jedi: "It turned out to be a comedy for kids"

Luke Skywalker and Darth Vader standing side by side in Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
(Image credit: Lucasfilm)

Dune director Denis Villeneuve recalls the moment he fell out of love with Star Wars – and it's all thanks to Return of the Jedi.

Like many, Villeneuve grew up obsessed with Star Wars. As he recalled on The Town podcast (H/T The Hollywood Reporter), "I was the target audience. I was 10 years old. It went to my brain like a silver bullet. I became obsessed with Star Wars. I mean, The Empire Strikes Back is the movie that I anticipated the most in my life. I saw the movie a billion times onscreen. I was traumatized by The Empire Strikes Back. I adore [1977's] Star Wars."

Unfortunately, Villeneuve's opinion on the sci-fi franchise soured by the time Return of the Jedi came around in 1983. The threequel has long been regarded as the weakest of the original trilogy, largely thanks in part to the extended focus on the cuddly Ewok tribe on the forest moon of Endor – and it seems Villeneuve feels the same way.

"The problem is that it all derailed in 1983 with Return of the Jedi," Villeneuve said. "It’s a long story. I was 15 years old, and my best friend and I wanted to take a cab and go to L.A. and talk to George Lucas – we were so angry! Still today: the Ewoks. It turned out to be a comedy for kids."

Villeneuve continued, "Star Wars became crystallized in its own mythology, very dogmatic, it seemed like a recipe, no more surprises. So I’m not dreaming of [making a Star Wars movie] because it feels like [its] code is very codified.”

Thankfully for Villeneuve, he found different sci-fi universes to inhabit in his own films, including Blade Runner 2049 and the recent Dune movies, which will soon extend into its own trilogy. Villeneuve's next movie – likely Dune 3 – will be released on December 18, 2026.

Bradley Russell
Bradley Russell

I'm the Senior Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, focusing on news, features, and interviews with some of the biggest names in film and TV. On-site, you'll find me marveling at Marvel and providing analysis and room temperature takes on the newest films, Star Wars and, of course, anime. Outside of GR, I love getting lost in a good 100-hour JRPG, Warzone, and kicking back on the (virtual) field with Football Manager. My work has also been featured in OPM, FourFourTwo, and Game Revolution.