While he seemingly performed a feat few filmmakers had succeeded in when Dune to the big screen, director Denis Villeneuve believes Blade Runner 2049 could have potentially been a far more devastating blow to his career had it failed. Having made his name with features including Sicario and Arrival, Villeneuve brought Frank Herbert's influential sci-fi novel to the screen with a two-part adaptation released in 2021 and 2024 respectively. While Villeneuve is set to close out his tenure on Arakkis with a Dune: Messiah adaptation, he is also set to explore the life of Cleopatra in a historical drama.

During a recent BFI London Film Festival panel (per The Hollywood Reporter), Villeneuve explained that one movie he had made prior to Dune made him feel more dread than bringing Herbert's world to life, that being Blade Runner 2049. After having to build himself up to feel that he was ready to tackle the sci-fi drama,...