Dune: Part Two tabarnak Denis Villeneuve Josh Brolin
Film

Denis Villeneuve apologizes for failing to slip a ‘tabarnak’ into Dune: Part Two

by Lorraine Carpenter

“I asked Josh Brolin to use the word at one point and it didn’t work out. It doesn’t live well in the mouth of an American.”

In an interview on the red carpet in Montreal last week, ahead of the premiere of Dune: Part Two, director Denis Villeneuve revealed that he tried to slip a “tabarnak” into the film’s script. Given the diversity of languages, dialects and vocabulary in the sci-fi epic, the Quebec swear word wouldn’t have seemed out of place, but the actor tasked with saying “tabarnak” wasn’t able to deliver it in true Queb fashion.

“I was convinced that if I was able to put the word ‘tabarnak’ in one of the movies, it would please the people from Montreal but I asked Josh Brolin to use the word at one point and it didn’t work out. It doesn’t live well in the mouth of an American. I’m sorry, I failed, I failed.”

@buzzfeedcanada

Director of Dune Denis Villeneuve (and Quebecker) reveals! #dune #duneparttwo #denisvilleneuve #dunepart2 #timotheechalamet

♬ original sound – BuzzFeed Canada
Denis Villeneuve apologizes for failing to slip a ‘tabarnak’ into Dune: Part Two

Read our interview with Denis Villeneuve here.

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by Lorraine Carpenter

Editor in chief
Lorraine Carpenter was born in Montreal and studied communications and journalism at Concordia. She co-founded Cult MTL in 2012 following 12 years at the now-defunct Montreal alt weekly the Mirror, where she worked in editorial as copy editor and music editor. She’s dedicated to supporting the cultural scene in Montreal.