Director's Cannabis Experience Shaped Chalamet's Dune Visions
A filmmaker's unexpected encounter with his son's 'special' banana cake became the key to directing one of cinema's most intense hallucinatory sequences.
Denis Villeneuve never recommends anyone try cannabis. But his accidental encounter with his son's potent banana cake became crucial for directing Timothée Chalamet's most challenging scenes in the Dune films.
Speaking at a Directors Guild of America event, the Canadian filmmaker shared how an unplanned drug experience months before filming helped him guide Chalamet through Paul Atreides' spice-induced visions.
"The truth is that one thing that helped me tremendously to direct Timothée 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 explained.
The director continued: "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 banana cake incident to Chalamet, the actor immediately understood. Throughout both Dune films, Paul Atreides encounters the mysterious spice that triggers intense hallucinations showing war-torn planets and the Fremen's eventual freedom.
Why Chalamet Was Villeneuve's Only Choice
The filmmaker previously told The Face that casting Chalamet wasn't just preferred - it was essential. Had the Call Me by Your Name star declined, Villeneuve simply wouldn't have made the movie.
"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," Villeneuve said.
The director and cinematographer Greig Fraser often noticed Chalamet appeared almost 14 years old on screen. "And I think that combination, that contrast, is Paul Atreides," Villeneuve added.
Paul Atreides Reaches Full Power in Dune 3
The upcoming third film will adapt Dune Messiah, showing Paul as Emperor of the known universe. Villeneuve plans this as his final Dune movie, completing Paul's character arc.
The plot follows Paul battling a conspiracy involving the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild, and Princess Irulan while trying to save Chani from a tragic fate he's foreseen.
Production wrapped in November 2025 according to World of Reel. The film hits theaters December 18, 2026 - the same day as Avengers: Doomsday, setting up a massive box office showdown.