Timothée Chalamet and Denis Villeneuve spoke French to each other on the ‘Dune Part Two’ set

Timothée Chalamet  and Denis Villeneuve have said that they spoke to each other in French on the set of their new film, Dune: Part Two.

The pair were speaking to the The New York Times to promote the new film, which is the second part of the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 896-page sci-fi novel, and the writer of the interview noted that they were speaking in French each other when they arrived. Villeneuve is from Quebec, the French-speaking area of Canada, while Chalamet is a dual American and French citizen.

“It was the way that we were able to find intimacy in the chaos. It was our protected landscape. A second secret language,” said Villeneuve.

“He said it perfectly. Our bubble.” Chalamet chimed in.

Meanwhile, Chalamet revealed that the film that made him want to act was The Dark Knight, which he mentioned when the outlet posed a question about stories like Dune relating to “heroes, chosen ones, saviors” and whether he’s had opportunities to play superheroes.

“Well, Leonardo DiCaprio said to me, ‘No superhero movies, no hard drugs.’ Which I thought was very good,” he joked. “I follow them both! But the movie that made me want to act is a superhero movie, The Dark Knight. If the script was great, if the director was great, I’d have to consider it.”

The first reviews are now coming in for Dune: Part Two, and critics are full of praise for Denis Villeneuve’s “epic” sci-fi sequel.

Part Two concludes the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 896-page, 1965 novel, following Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as he unites with Chani (Zendaya) and the Fremen to learn the ways of the desert, wage war on the forces that destroyed his family, and fulfil his destiny as the supposed chosen one.

Many have praised the sequel for its gigantic scope and ambition, including Rolling Stone‘s David Fear, who wrote: “Villeneuve has outdone himself. More importantly, he’s done justice to the scope and scale and sheer weirdness of a stoner-lit touchstone’s back half without, pun intended, sanding away its edges.”

The Guardian‘s Peter Bradshaw said Dune: Part Two is “superb at showing us an entire created world, a distinct and now unmistakable universe, which will probably be much imitated: a triumph for cinematographer Greig Fraser and production designer Patrice Vermette. Hans Zimmer’s score provides exactly the right tone, at once plangent and grandiose.”

Dune: Part Two arrives in cinemas on March 1.