Denis Villeneuve’s Wild Experience Shaped Dune’s Most Surreal Scene

Denis Villeneuve, the Canadian director behind the much-hyped Dune films, has always been clear about his stance on marijuana: he’s not a fan. Yet, a particularly rough experience with his son’s home-baked banana cake ended up giving him just the insight he needed for one of the franchise’s most mind-bending sequences.

Chatting with the Directors Guild of America, Villeneuve shared a story that’s as bizarre as it is revealing. He recalled a day when his son whipped up a banana cake that turned out to be, in his words, “very spicy.” The result? A bad trip that left a lasting impression.

The truth is that one thing that helped me tremendously to direct Timothée [Chalamet] is, my son had cooked a banana cake a few months before we shot the movie, and the banana cake was very ‘spicy’ and I had the worst bad trip of my life.

Villeneuve went on to explain just how much that experience shaped his approach to directing Timothée Chalamet, who plays Paul Atreides. He admitted it might sound a bit silly, but reckons there’s value in living through things yourself.

But it tremendously helped me, it sounds stupid, but it’s good to experience things yourself sometimes. That bad trip, on marijuana, deeply helped me to direct Timothée in the visions, to explain to him the state I was looking for.

When Villeneuve mentioned the infamous banana cake to Chalamet, the young actor immediately understood what the director was after. In the Dune universe, Paul Atreides is exposed to the mysterious ‘spice’, which can trigger wild hallucinations—visions of war, destruction, and the hope of freedom for the Fremen.

Villeneuve’s Vision for Paul Atreides

Before Dune: Part One hit cinemas, Villeneuve made it clear there was no backup plan for casting Paul Atreides. If Chalamet had turned down the role, the film simply wouldn’t have happened. The director was adamant that only Chalamet could bring Frank Herbert’s character to life.

Villeneuve described Chalamet as having an “old soul” and a “deep intelligence” that shines through in his acting. He’s a calm, mature bloke, but still looks incredibly young on screen—a combination that Villeneuve felt was spot on for Paul Atreides.

Timothée has an old soul. He has a deep intelligence. It is something that is reflected in his acting. He’s a very mature and calm young man – and at the same time, he looks tremendously young on camera.

Even the film’s cinematographer, Greig Fraser, sometimes thought Chalamet looked about 14 years old. That contrast, Villeneuve said, is exactly what makes Paul Atreides such a compelling character.

Sometimes [cinematographer] Greig Fraser and I were thinking he looks 14 years old. And I think that combination, that contrast, is Paul Atreides.

What’s Next for Paul Atreides in Dune 3?

Fans are still waiting to see Chalamet’s Paul Atreides fully come into his own, but the next instalment promises to deliver. Dune: Part Three will see Paul rise to become Emperor, with the story adapting the Dune Messiah novel. Villeneuve has said this will be his final Dune film, aiming to wrap up Paul’s journey.

The plot will follow Paul as he faces a conspiracy led by the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and Princess Irulan. At the same time, he’s desperate to save Chani from a fate he’s already foreseen. Production wrapped up in late 2025, and the film is set for release on 18 December 2026—the same day as Avengers: Doomsday, for those keeping score.

So, do you reckon Chalamet nails the role of Paul Atreides? Let us know what you think below.