Dune: Part Two was critically acclaimed and a major box office success following its release earlier this year, but it remains unclear how it will perform at the Academy Awards.

In his new memoir, From Under The Truck (via Variety), Brolin, who plays Gurney Halleck in the franchise and is an Oscar nominee himself for his ing performance in 2008's Milk, makes the bold statement that he'll "quit acting" if the filmmaker isn't recognized for Dune: Part Two. The actor celebrates the sequel as an improvement over the original and calls Villeneuve "one of our master filmmakers." Check out the full excerpt from Brolin's book below:

“If he doesn’t get nominated this year, I’ll quit acting. It was a better movie than the first one. When I watched it, it felt like my brain was broken open. It’s masterful, and Denis is one of our master filmmakers. If the Academy Awards have any meaning whatsoever, they’ll recognize him.”

What Dune: Part Two's Reception Means For Its Oscar Chances

Why The Franchise Might Not Win Any Major Awards (Yet)

Dune: Part Two is one of the rare sequels that has actually been more warmly received than the original. Dune's reviews in 2021 were positive, but the film also had the challenging job of setting up the world and all the characters, while the sequel benefits from being able to dive back into the epic sci-fi grandeur while having relatively little setup, in addition to adding well-regarded actors including Florence Pugh and Austin Butler, both of whom are Oscar nominees. Below, see a breakdown of how Dune: Part Two has been an improvement over the original both critically and commercially:

The success and quality of the film means that Villeneuve seems very likely to be nominated this time around. It's far less certain, however, that he'll win. Traditionally, the Oscars have been hesitant to award second installments in a trilogy, as was seen with The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers. With Dune: Part Three confirmed to be on the horizon, it's possible that Academy voters will want to wait to recognize the franchise until Villeneuve's grand conclusion. The Dune franchise is also hard sci-fi, a genre that hasn’t historically done well at the Oscars.

The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was nominated for 11 [Oscars] and won 11...

For reference, 2002's The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was nominated for six Oscars, winning for Best Sound Editing and Best Visual Effects. Additionally, its predecessor The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring was nominated for 13 Oscars, winning four, while the sequel The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King was nominated for 11 and won 11, including Best Picture and Best Director. The Two Towers was the only installment for which Peter Jackson was not nominated as Best Director.

The 2025 Best Director Competition Is Fierce

Denis Villeneuve's Prospects Aren't Entirely Certain

While Denis Villeneuve is a frontrunner for a Best Director nomination, it is not a guarantee that he will get one. In fact, Variety's chart of predictions for the five Best Director slots has him as the seventh most likely nominee, behind Ridley Scott (Gladiator II), Jon M. Chu (Wicked), Sean Baker (Anora), Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez), Edward Berger (Conclave), and Brady Corbet (The Brutalist).

The remaining directors in their Top 10 predictions are James Mangold (A Complete Unknown), Steve McQueen (Blitz), and Walter Salles (I'm Still Here).

Those predictions also ignore the female directors of movies with major Oscar buzz, a roster that includes the brash Coralie Fargeat body horror movie The Substance, the Nicole Kidman-led Halina Reijn erotic thriller Babygirl, and the Sundance Grand Jury Prize-winning Alessandra Lacorazza Samudio drama In the Summers. Dune: Part Two's chances could also be diminished by it being released early in the year, as recency bias can skew Oscar nominations toward movies released in November and December.

Our Take On Brolin's Comments About Villeneuve & Dune: Part Two

The Dune Sequel Cemented Villeneuve's Place In Hollywood

Brolin probably is not being serious about quitting acting should Villeneuve not be nominated, especially considering the fact that the prolific actor is already currently working on two projects, namely Edgar Wright's Stephen King adaptation The Running Man and Zach Cregger's Barbarian follow-up Weapons. Thankfully, this likely won't be put to the test. It would be somewhat surprising if Villeneuve wasn't at least nominated, as Dune: Part Two has essentially cemented him as a Christopher Nolan-level Hollywood presence.

Every new Villeneuve movie from this point forward will likely be eventized in a similar way that new Nolan movies are, though perhaps to a lesser degree. While it remains a question mark whether Dune: Part Two will any major awards, Villeneuve has certainly proven himself worthy of a nomination and a win after years of producing well-regarded titles, including a run of eight Certified Fresh movies in a row that began with 2010's Incendies and includes Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, and the legacy sequel Blade Runner 2049.

Source: From Under The Truck by Josh Brolin (via Variety)