10 Most Shocking Snubs In The 2022 Oscar Nominations
4. Denis Villeneuve - Best Director
Dune is an absolutely epic movie. It's epic in its presentation, its plot, its score, its characters, its setting, and its ideas. The unfilmable film was finally conquered and we all have Canadian maestro Denis Villeneuve to thank for that.
The man behind Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 took on his biggest challenge to date and pulled it off with aplomb, raking in the "spice" at the Box Office and racking up nomination after nomination for his intergalactic political thriller. Whilst the Golden Globe was lost to Jane Campion, he's still in the running for a Critics' Choice Award and Director's Guild of America Award for his work.
These nominations are well-deserved, as it was Villeneuve's vision that took Dune from punchline to heavy hitter and his sci-fi behemoth fingerprints are all over the finished product. The Academy are clearly fans of his work as they gave Dune the "Best Picture" nod, but nothing for Denis himself.
Dune is a film so intrinsically linked to its creator, which is why this omission is so strange. Villeneuve better get the nomination for Dune Part II otherwise he'll unleash his giant worms on Hollywood.