"Odyssey" Gets a Major Oscar Rival - First Viewers Rave About "Dune: Part Three"

Warner Bros. held another round of private screenings for the finale of Denis Villeneuve's trilogy.

Christopher Nolan's “Odyssey” is considered one of the main contenders for the next Oscar, but now the film may have a serious rival. Warner Bros. has begun holding private screenings of “Dune: Part Three,” and the first reviews of Denis Villeneuve's final work on the franchise have been very positive.

According to Variety columnist Clayton Davis, screenings for small groups of viewers took place this week. Detailed reviews are not yet being published, but he described the early reaction as “very positive.” Against this backdrop, “Dune 3” is already being included among the main participants in the upcoming Oscar race. Insider Jeff Sneider believes that the battle for the award in the “Best Picture” category could come down to two films: Christopher Nolan's “Odyssey” and Denis Villeneuve's “Dune: Part Three.”

For Villeneuve, the upcoming awards race could be another attempt to receive his first directorial nomination for a film in the “Dune” series. Both previous parts were nominated for an Oscar in the “Best Picture” category, but Villeneuve himself was not nominated for directing.

The director received his only nomination in this category for “Arrival” in 2017, but the statuette then went to Damien Chazelle for “La La Land.” “Arrival” itself was nominated for eight awards and won in only one category: Sylvain Bellemare received an Oscar for Best Sound Editing.

“Dune: Part Three” will be released worldwide on December 18.