Denis Villeneuve

Template:Short description Template:Use Canadian English Template:Use mdy dates Template:Infobox person Denis Villeneuve (Template:IPAc-en; Template:IPA; born October 3, 1967) is a Canadian film director and screenwriter. He has received seven Canadian Screen Awards as well as nominations for four Academy Awards, five BAFTA Awards, and two Golden Globe Awards. Villeneuve's films have grossed more than $1.8 billion worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Villeneuve began his career in Quebec cinema, directing four French-language dramas: August 32nd on Earth (1998); Maelström (2000); Polytechnique (2009), a dramatization of the 1989 École Polytechnique massacre; and Incendies (2010). The last of these gained him international prominence and earned an Academy Award for Best International Feature Film nomination. He subsequently expanded into English-language films, directing the thrillers Prisoners (2013), Enemy (2013), and Sicario (2015). Like Incendies, each of these was critically acclaimed.

Villeneuve has since gained further recognition for directing science fiction films. His work on Arrival (2016) earned an Academy Award for Best Director nomination. This was followed by Blade Runner 2049 (2017), which was critically lauded but financially unsuccessful. His next projects were Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), a two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel of the same name that grossed a combined $1.15 billion globally.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Both films were critically and commercially successful, earning him two nominations for the Academy Award for Best Picture in addition to a nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay for Dune.

Early life and education

Villeneuve was born on October 3, 1967, in the village of Gentilly in Bécancour, Quebec, to Nicole Demers, a homemaker, and Jean Villeneuve, a notary. He is the eldest of four siblings. His younger brother, Martin, also became a filmmaker.<ref name="RadioCanada">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="CanadaEnc">Template:Cite web</ref>

Villeneuve attended the Séminaire Saint-Joseph de Trois-Rivières<ref name="RadioCanada" /> and later studied science at the Cégep de Trois-Rivières.<ref name="CanadaEnc" /> He studied cinema at the Université du Québec à Montréal.<ref name="VultureVineyard">Template:Cite news</ref> After becoming established as a filmmaker, Villeneuve received an honorary Doctorate in Fine Arts from Concordia University in Montreal on June 6, 2024.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Career

1991–2012: Canadian films

Villeneuve began his career making short films and won Radio-Canada's youth film competition, La Course Europe-Asie, in 1991.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> August 32nd on Earth (1998), Villeneuve's feature film directorial debut, premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the 1998 Cannes Film Festival.<ref name="Festival-Cannes.com">Template:Cite web</ref> Alexis Martin won the Prix Jutra for Best Actor. The film was selected as the Canadian entry for the Best Foreign Language Film at the 71st Academy Awards, but was not nominated.<ref>Margaret Herrick Library, Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences</ref><ref name="71stSubmissions">Template:Cite web</ref>

His second film, Maelström (2000), attracted further attention and screened at festivals worldwide, ultimately winning eight Jutra Awards and the award for Best Canadian Film from the Toronto International Film Festival. He followed that up with the controversial, but critically acclaimed black and white film Polytechnique (2009) about the shootings that occurred at the University of Montreal in 1989. The film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and received numerous honours, including nine Genie Awards, becoming Villeneuve's first film to win the Genie (now known as a Canadian Screen Award) for Best Motion Picture.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Villeneuve's fourth film Incendies (2010) garnered critical acclaim when it premiered at the Venice and Toronto International Film Festivals in 2010. Incendies was subsequently chosen to represent Canada at the 83rd Academy Awards in the category of Best Foreign Language Film<ref name="hollywoodreporter Canada">Template:Cite news</ref> and was eventually nominated for the award, though it did not win.<ref name="Nominees">Template:Cite web</ref> The film went on to win eight awards at the 31st Genie Awards, including Best Motion Picture, Best Direction, Best Actress (Lubna Azabal), Best Adapted Screenplay, Cinematography, Editing, Overall Sound, and Sound Editing.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Incendies was chosen by The New York Times as one of the top 10 best films of that year.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In January 2011, he was selected by Variety as one of the top ten filmmakers to watch.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Also in 2011, Villeneuve won the National Arts Centre Award.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2013–2016: Transition to Hollywood

File:Denis Villeneuve, 2013.jpg

Villeneuve at the 2013 Toronto International Film Festival

Villeneuve followed Incendies with the crime thriller Prisoners (2013), starring Hugh Jackman and Jake Gyllenhaal. The film screened at festivals across the globe, won several awards, and was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Cinematography in 2014.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Following Incendies and Prisoners, Villeneuve won Best Director for his sixth film, the psychological thriller Enemy (2014), at the 2nd Canadian Screen Awards. The film was awarded the $100,000 cash prize for best Canadian film of the year by the Toronto Film Critics Association in 2015.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Later that year, Villeneuve directed the crime thriller film Sicario, scripted by Taylor Sheridan,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and starring Emily Blunt, Benicio del Toro, Daniel Kaluuya, and Josh Brolin.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The film competed for the Palme d'Or at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival, though it did not win.<ref name="2015Cannes">Template:Cite web</ref> It screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2015 and went on to gross nearly $80 million worldwide.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

File:Denis Villeneuve Cannes 2015.jpg

Villeneuve at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival

Villeneuve subsequently directed his eighth film, Arrival (2016), based on the short story Story of Your Life by author Ted Chiang, from an adapted script by Eric Heisserer,<ref name="Cannes: Paramount Confirms ‘Story Of Your Life’ Acquisition; $20 Million Is Fest Record Deal">Template:Cite news</ref> with Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner starring.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Principal photography began on June 7, 2015, in Montreal, and the film was released in 2016.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Arrival grossed $203 million worldwide and received critical acclaim, specifically for Adams's performance, Villeneuve's direction, and the film's exploration of communicating with extraterrestrial intelligence. Arrival appeared on numerous critics' best films of the year lists,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and was selected by the American Film Institute as one of ten films of the year.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It received eight nominations at the 89th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Adapted Screenplay, ultimately winning one award for Best Sound Editing. It was also awarded the Ray Bradbury Award for Outstanding Dramatic Presentation and the Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation in 2017.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

2017–present: Science fiction films

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Villeneuve at 2018 Cannes Film Festival

In February 2015, it was announced that Villeneuve would direct Blade Runner 2049, the sequel to Ridley Scott's Blade Runner (1982).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Scott served as the film's executive producer on behalf of Warner Bros.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> It was released on October 6, 2017 to critical acclaim but underperformed at the box office.<ref>Template:Cite newsTemplate:Cbignore</ref> David Ehrlich of IndieWire wrote, "Few filmmakers of the 21st century have risen to prominence and prestige with the forcefulness of Blade Runner 2049 director Denis Villeneuve, whose seemingly unstoppable career has been bolstered by a steady balance of critical respect and commercial success. In fact, Christopher Nolan is the only other person who comes to mind, and the similarities between the two of them are hard to ignore."<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

In December 2016, it was announced Villeneuve would direct Dune, a new adaptation of the 1965 novel for Legendary Pictures with Villeneuve, Eric Roth, and Jon Spaihts writing the screenplay.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Stellan Skarsgård, Jason Momoa, and Zendaya starred in the film.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The film was released on October 22, 2021, by Warner Bros. Pictures to critical acclaim.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> The sequel, Dune: Part Two, was green-lit after the success of the first film<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and released in March 2024 to widespread critical acclaim.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> It became his highest-grossing film to date and became the seventh highest-grossing films of 2024.

Villeneuve was a producer for both films, which producer Mary Parent said "...as big and as epic as this film is, there were many times where it almost felt like you were on the set of an independent film," and that "...he’s very very smart about where to spend money."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> He is in the process of developing Dune: Part Three, his third and final of the Dune films, based on the 1969 novel Dune Messiah.<ref name="Zacharek">Template:Cite magazine</ref> Production of Dune: Part Three began in July 2025.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

He was the recipient of the Prix Iris Tribute Award at the 26th Quebec Cinema Awards.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Upcoming projects

Villeneuve is also attached to direct a historical drama about Cleopatra for Sony Pictures (based on the biography by Stacy Schiff) and an adaptation of Arthur C. ClarkeTemplate:'s science fiction novel Rendezvous with Rama for Alcon Entertainment.<ref name="Zacharek" /><ref>Template:Cite news</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> He has also confirmed a secret project is in the works, on which he said, "...I cannot talk about right now, but that needs to see the light of day quite quickly. So it would be a good idea to do something in between projects, before tackling Dune Messiah and Cleopatra. All these projects are still being written, so we'll see where they go, but I have no control over that."<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>

In April 2024, it was reported that Villeneuve was in talks to potentially reunite with Legendary Pictures and direct a film adaptation of the Annie Jacobsen non-fiction book Nuclear War: A Scenario.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Amazon MGM Studios announced in June 2025 that the company had selected Villeneuve to direct the 26th James Bond film, with an expected release date in 2028.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Villeneuve released a statement, "I grew up watching James Bond films with my father, ever since Dr. No with Sean Connery. I'm a die-hard Bond fan. To me, he’s sacred territory. I intend to honor the tradition and open the path for many new missions to come."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Villeneuve had previously been offered to direct No Time to Die (2021), but declined in favor of directing Dune.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Influences and style

Starting with Polytechnique, Villeneuve became known for a visual style based on long takes, precise mise-en-scène, steady camerawork, periods of wordless silence to emphasize moody atmosphere, and shallow focus, high-contrast cinematography. Amongst a core theme of Villeneuve's films are characters who struggle with their identities in worlds of isolation, such as the case with Sicario (Kate Macer), Enemy (Adam Bell), Arrival (Louise Banks), Blade Runner 2049 (Officer K), and the Dune movies.

Villeneuve has cited Steven Spielberg, Stanley Kubrick, Alfred Hitchcock, the Coen brothers, Paul Thomas Anderson, Ridley Scott, Sam Mendes, Jean-Luc Godard, François Truffaut, Ingmar Bergman, Yorgos Lanthimos, and Christopher Nolan as his main cinematic influences.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Personal life

Villeneuve is married to Tanya Lapointe, a journalist and filmmaker,<ref>Marsha Lederman, "Documentary The Paper Man looks at the impact and magic of Claude Lafortune's sculptures" Template:Webarchive. The Globe and Mail, December 22, 2020.</ref> and he has three children from a previous relationship.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> Villeneuve and Lapointe work together on film projects as director-producer partners, with Lapointe saying, "I’m an extension of his brain."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

His daughter Salomé Villeneuve is also a filmmaker, whose debut short film III premiered at the 2022 Venice Film Festival.<ref>Michaela Zee, "Salomé Villeneuve Explores Childhood Memories in Nature in Venice-Selected Short ‘III’" Template:Webarchive. Variety, September 10, 2022.</ref> Previously, Villeneuve had a relationship with Macha Grenon.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Red Ketchup, the long-awaited animated adaptation Template:Webarchive, cmf-fmc, April 20, 2023</ref>

Villeneuve is an active supporter of the arts in Quebec and Canada, encouraging young filmmakers in the country.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Filmography

File:Cannes 2015 24.jpg

Villeneuve with Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt, and Benicio del Toro at the 2015 Cannes Film Festival premiere of Sicario

Film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Producer
1998	August 32nd on Earth	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2000	Maelström	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2009	Polytechnique	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2010	Incendies	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2013	Prisoners	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
	Enemy	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
2015	Sicario	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
2016	Arrival	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
2017	Blade Runner 2049	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
2021	Dune	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
2024	Dune: Part Two	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
2026	Dune: Part Three	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes

Short film

Year	Title	Director	Writer	Editor	Notes
1990	La Course destination monde	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	TV short
1990	Terre des Hommes<ref>https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w0V5edtnh3A</ref>	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	La Course Europe-Asie
1994	REW FFWD<ref name="nfb.ca">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
1994	Ensorcelée<ref>https://www.newspapers.com/image/1212251099/</ref>	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:Yes	music video for Daniel Bélanger
1994	Les Femmes Préfèrent Les Ginos<ref>https://www.newspapers.com/image/1212251099/</ref>	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:Yes	music video for Zébulon
1995	Tout simplement jaloux<ref>https://ottawacitizen.newspapers.com/image/465250615/</ref>	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No	music video for Beau Dommage
1995	Querer<ref>https://www.newspapers.com/image/1212251099/</ref>	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:Yes	from Alegria by Cirque du Soleil
1996	Le Technétium<ref name="filmsquebec">Template:Cite web</ref>	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No	Segment from the film Cosmos
2006	120 Seconds to Get Elected	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:No
2008	Next Floor	Template:Yes	Template:No	Template:No
2011	Rated R for Nudity	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes
	Étude empirique sur l'influence du son sur la persistance rétinienne	Template:Yes	Template:Yes	Template:Yes

Frequent collaborators

rowspan=2 Template:Diagonal split header 2	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small	Template:Small
! Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth	Template:Verth
Maxim Gaudette	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Dave Bautista							Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Jake Gyllenhaal			Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Josh Brolin					Template:Ya			Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
David Dastmalchian			Template:Ya				Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Timothée Chalamet								Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Zendaya								Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Rebecca Ferguson								Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Jason Momoa								Template:Ya		Template:Ya
Stellan Skarsgård								Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Javier Bardem								Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Charlotte Rampling								Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Stephen McKinley Henderson								Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Babs Olusanmokun								Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Roger Yuan								Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Florence Pugh									Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Anya Taylor-Joy									Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Roger Deakins (cinematographer)			Template:Ya		Template:Ya		Template:Ya
Joe Walker (Film Editor)					Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Jóhann Jóhannsson (Composer)			Template:Ya		Template:Ya	Template:Ya
Hans Zimmer (Composer)							Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya	Template:Ya

Reception

Film	Rotten Tomatoes<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Metacritic<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	BFCA<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	CinemaScore<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Budget	Box office<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
August 32nd on Earth	Template:N/a	61	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	Template:N/a
Maelström	81%	66	71/100	Template:N/a	$3.4 million	$0.3 million
Polytechnique	87%	63	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	$6 million	$1.6 million
Incendies	91%	80	87/100	Template:N/a	$6.8 million	$16.1 million
Prisoners	81%	70	85/100	Template:Sort grade	$46 million	$122.2 million
Enemy	71%	61	74/100	Template:N/a	Template:N/a	$4.6 million
Sicario	92%	82	89/100	Template:Sort grade	$30 million	$84.9 million
Arrival	95%	81	88/100	Template:Sort grade	$47 million	$203.4 million
Blade Runner 2049	88%	81	87/100	Template:Sort grade	$185 million	$267.7 million
Dune	83%	74	86/100	Template:Sort grade	$165 million	$406.0 million
Dune: Part Two	93%	79	93/100	Template:Sort grade	$190 million	$711.8 million

Awards and nominations

Template:Main He is a four-time recipient of the Canadian Screen Award (formerly Genie Award) for Best Direction, winning for Maelström in 2001, Polytechnique in 2009, Incendies in 2010 and Enemy in 2013.<ref>"Polytechnique sweeps Genie Awards" Template:Webarchive. Toronto Star, April 12, 2010.</ref><ref>"Villeneuve’s Incendies wins eight Genies, including best picture" Template:Webarchive. The Globe and Mail, March 10, 2011.</ref> The first three of these films also won the Canadian Screen Award for Best Motion Picture, while the latter was awarded the prize for best Canadian film of the year by the Toronto Film Critics Association. He was awarded the prize of Director of the Decade by the Hollywood Critics Association in December 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> On May 31, 2024, he received the Academy Icon Award at the 12th Canadian Screen Awards.<ref>Denis Villeneuve to Receive Honorary Canadian Screen Award, The Hollywood Reporter, May 1, 2024</ref>

Year	Title	Academy Awards		BAFTA Awards		Golden Globe Awards
		Nominations	Wins	Nominations	Wins	Nominations	Wins
2010	Incendies	1		1
2013	Prisoners	1
2015	Sicario	3		3
2016	Arrival	8	1	9	1	2
2017	Blade Runner 2049	5	2	8	2
2021	Dune	10	6	11	5	3	1
2024	Dune: Part Two	5	2	7	2	2
Total		33	11	39	10	7	1

Honours

Commonwealth

Location	Date	Appointment	Post-nominal letters
Template:Flagu	July 5, 2018Template:Spaced ndashpresent	Officer of the Order of Canada<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	OC
Template:Flagu	2019Template:En dashpresent	Knight of the National Order of Quebec<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	CQ
Template:Flagu	2012	Canadian Version of the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	N/A

Honorary Degrees

Location	Date	School	Degree	Gave commencement address
Template:Flagu	December 5, 2017	Université du Québec à Montréal	Doctorate<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Yes

Memberships and fellowships

Location	Date	Organization	Position
Template:Flagu	2014Template:En dashpresent	Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>	Member (Directors Branch)

Other medals

Location	Date	Appointment
Template:Flagu	2024–present	Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

External links

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