'Dune 2' director Denis Villeneuve says epic sandworm-riding scene 'sometimes takes one shot for a week' and requires a separate unit: 'If I was doing it myself, I'd still be shooting'

Acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve reflected on some of his favorite moments from his films during a career-spanning Screen Talk at the BFI London Film Festival on Saturday.

In conversation with “Ted Lasso” star Brett Goldstein, who guaranteed plenty of laughs in the hour-long discussion, Villeneuve broke down “Dune: Part Two's” epic sandworm-riding scene. Villeneuve previously stated that the sequence took 44 days to film and required a separate crew called the “Warm Unit”.

“I realized that, the way I wanted to approach it, I didn't want to compromise,” Villeneuve said. “The most important thing with visual effects is, how do you shoot it? And I wanted to shoot it with natural light. And I realized it would take months to shoot. Each shot was very complex. Each shot sometimes took half a day, because of the complexity. Sometimes it took a day, sometimes a week. If I did it myself, I would still be shooting.

The pest unit was led by Tanya Lapointe, who “completely understood my vision,” Villeneuve says, “and she's also my wife.”

Villeneuve's “Dune: Part Two,” starring Timothée Chalamet as protagonist Paul Atreides, premiered in March and grossed $714 million at the worldwide box office.

When adapting Herbert's beloved “Dune” universe for the screen, Villeneuve said the “key word” was “woman.”

“I thought the sisters of Bene Gesserit were the most meaningful, interesting and relevant,” she said, “When you adapt, you kill. It's really an act of artistic violence.”

But the “Dune” movies weren't Villeneuve's first foray into sci-fi — in 2017, he directed “Blade Runner 2049,” the sequel to Ridley Scott's 1982 classic. Villeneuve told Goldstein that he still considers the movie one of his “riskiest” career decisions.

“It was probably the worst idea I've ever had to do a sequel to a great Ridley Scott masterpiece,” laughs Villeneuve. But, he ultimately decided to take the offer because “making a sequel to my favorite film was a nice way to end my career. I thought it was very romantic.”

Fortunately, “Blade Runner 2049” instead carved a whole new path for Villeneuve, who is currently regarded as one of the top sci-fi filmmakers and a third “Dune” movie is in development. Although Villeneuve remained silent on the matter during Saturday's speech, “Dune 3” will be based on Frank Herbert's “Dune Messiah,” which is set 12 years after the events of his first novel.