Denis Villeneuve is the kind of director actors seek out. Much like his buddy Christopher Nolan (who Villeneuve considers a master of the craft), the French Canadian filmmaker has earned enough name recognition to bring hordes to the theater -- which is exactly what he did with his two "Dune" movies. The supposedly "un-filmable" saga, first told in Frank Herbert's 1965 novel, was rendered in stunning detail across 2021's "Dune" and 2024's "Dune: Part Two," with Villeneuve reminding us of not only why he's one of today's pre-eminent directors, but of his knack for sci-fi storytelling.

Of course, it helped that the movie featured two of today's biggest stars, with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in the roles of Paul Atreides and Chani respectively. The pair's involvement ensured the admittedly dense lore of "Dune" wasn't entirely overlooked by younger generations, who flocked to theaters to see the young stars and propelled...