Denis Villeneuve’s Dune brings us to the halfway point of my ten Case Of posts for the Best Picture contenders. If you missed the first four, you can access them here:
The Case for Dune:
If the Academy’s voters are looking to honor the nominee that garnered the highest box office returns, they can do so here as the sci-fi epic made $107 million domestically while being simultaneously available on HBO Max. Dune stands as the second most nominated film of 2021 with 10 mentions including Adapted Screenplay and a number of tech nods that it’s expected to win.
The Case Against Dune:
Many anticipated that this would garner the most mentions on Oscar nomination morning, but it fell short by two to The Power of the Dog. In doing so, Dune missed a major race when Villeneuve surprisingly failed to make the director cut. Quite simply, it’s hard to imagine this taking the big prize without its filmmaker being acknowledged.
The Verdict:
Dune should have no trouble winning some Oscars next month. Sound and Visual Effects are likely in the bag and Cinematography, Costume Design, Editing, Makeup and Hairstyling, Original Score, and Production Design are all feasible. Picture seems out of reach and voters will have another chance to honor it (and its director) with the forthcoming sequel.
My Case Of posts will continue with King Richard…
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