Villeneuve remembers watching the 1984 movie version of Frank Herbert's 1965 sci-fi novel Dune and thinking, "Someday someone else will do it again" — not realizing he would be that filmmaker. He spoke to Sam Briger about shooting Dune in the desert, depicting sandworm surfing, and his love of silent film. Also, David Bianculli reviews the new CBS murder mystery series, Elsbeth. For sponsor-free episodes of Fresh Air — and exclusive weekly bonus episodes, too — subscribe to Fresh Air+ via Apple Podcasts or at https://plus.npr.org/freshair Learn more about sponsor message choices: podcastchoices.com/adchoices NPR Privacy Policy
On the Ted radio hour, linguist Ann Curzan says she gets a lot of complaints about people using the pronoun they to refer to one person.
I sometimes get into arguments with people where they will say to me, but.
It can't be singular.
And I will say, but it is.
The history behind words causing a lot of debate.
That's on the Ted radio hour from NPR.
This is FRESH AIR.
I'm Terry Gross.
The much anticipated Sci-Fi movie Dune part two opens in theaters Friday.
Its director, Denis Villeneuve, spoke with fresh air producer Sam Brigger about making Dune part one and two and the rest of his film career.
Heres Sam.
My guest Denis Villeneuve was a teenager when he read the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert.
He was already a fan of science fiction, but Dune was a huge inspiration for him.
Even at an early age, he wanted to make it into a movie.
After successes making films like Arrival and Blade Runner 2049, he got the chance.
His movie Dune Part one came out in 2021 to critical and commercial success.
Now hes directed Dune part two, which comes out on Friday.
Dune part two takes place in the distant future, mostly on the harsh desert planet Arrakis, after the feudal house Atreides has been wiped out in a conspiracy between the galactic emperor and their enemies, the Harkonnens, including the head of Atreides, Duke Leto.
But Leto's son Paul, and Paul's mother, Jessica, played by Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, escape the attack and are taken in by the indigenous people of Arrakis called the Fremen.
The Harkonnens have regained control of Arrakis, and Paul and Jessica have joined the Fremen's insurgency against them.