Josh Brolin expressed his frustration over Dune: Part Two filmmaker Denis Villeneuve not receiving a Best Director nod when the Academy Awards nominations were announced Thursday, sarcastically saying he would retire from acting.
The 56-year-old actor previously told Variety in November, he felt Villeneuve, 57, was blatantly snubbed by the Academy after not being nominated for the first Dune film, which was released in late 2021.
Brolin, who reprized his role as Gurney Halleck in the sci-fi sequel, made a stunning promise if Villeneuve was turned down for the critically acclaimed sequel.
“If he doesn’t get nominated this year, I’ll quit acting,” Brolin told the outlet last fall. ‘It was a better film than the first one… it’s masterful, and Denis is one of our master filmmakers.
“If the Academy Awards have any meaning, they will recognize him.”
Villeneuve was snubbed again on Thursday, as he was excluded from the list of nominees for Best Performance in Direction, which included The Brutalist’s Brady Corbet, Emilia Pérez’s Jacques Audiard, Anora’s Sean Baker, The Substance’s Coralie Fargeat and A Complete’s James Mangold Unknown.
Josh Brolin, 56, expressed his frustration over Dune: Part Two filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, 57, not receiving a Best Director nod when the Academy Awards nominations were announced Thursday, and sarcastically said he would retire from acting
The Santa Monica, California, resident, who appeared to be sitting on his couch at home, referenced his previous vow in an Instagram Stories clip in response to Villeneuve’s disapproval.
“Apparently I’m going to quit acting because Denis Villeneuve isn’t nominated,” Brolin said. “That’s just how this thing works. It makes no sense to me. That’s okay.’
In total, Dune: Part Two was nominated for five Oscars on Thursday: Best Film of the Year, Best Sound, Best Achievement in Visual Effects, Best Achievement in Cinematography and Best Achievement in Production Design.
Brolin, who plays Thanos in the Avengers films, congratulated his Dune: Part Two film collaborators for their nominations in the clip.
“I just want to congratulate Dune on the Best Picture nomination,” he said, “against Greig Fraser for cinematography, for best visual effects, for Patrice (Vermett) for production design and for sound.
‘Joe Walker and Denis, you deserve it. It’s a great movie. It was even better than the first. The people who have received an award certainly deserve it. I’m happy to be a part of it.’
Others in the industry seemed to echo Brolin’s feelings about the disapproval of Villeneuve, who was nominated for a Critics Choice Award for his direction in the film.
Spider-Verse producer Chris Miller said on X/Twitter on Thursday: “There were a lot of films this year with great direction, but what Denis did – in all aspects of the craft – was masterful.”
Bowen Yang and Rachel Sennott pictured at the Samuel Goldwyn Theater in Beverly Hills, California on Thursday
Villeneuve was again snubbed, as he was excluded from the list of nominees for Best Performance in Directing. Pictured at the Golden Globes in Beverly Hills on January 5
The Santa Monica, California, resident referenced his previous vow in an Instagram Stories clip in response to Villeneuve’s insult
Brolin reprized his role of Gurney Halleck in the science fiction sequel
Dune: Part Two’s 2021 predecessor Dune: Part One won six Oscars out of ten nominations.
Brolin said in February 2022 that the Academy looked “stupid” by not nominating the director for a film that received ten nods.
“I don’t know how you get 10 nominations and the guy who did the impossible with that book doesn’t get nominated,” Brolin said on Instagram. “You realize it’s all great, and then it’s all fucking stupid.
“So congratulations on the amazing achievements that these incredibly talented people have been recognized for, because it’s all really, really stupid.”
Brolin received his only Oscar nomination in 2009 for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Milk.
Villeneuve has been nominated for four Oscars in the past; once for Best Director for 2016; and once for Best Adapted Screenplay for 2021’s Dune: Part One.