After years and years of writing comedy films with mixed success (for every “Hangover” there’s a “Superhero Movie”), Craig Mazin has found his place as one of the best creators on television, thanks to the success of both “Chernobyl” and “The Last of Us.” And apparently, with his renewed passion for TV, it appears he’s willing to put the film business behind him. That is, unless Denis Villeneuve calls him up and asks him to help with a ‘Dune’ film.
In a recent episode of the Happy. Sad. Confused. podcast, Craig Mazin talked about what he is interested in working on in the future. You won’t be surprised to hear that he is pretty well focused solely on “The Last of Us,” so he has no interest in a superhero film or the “Harry Potter” TV series. That said, he did mention how he was called in to help with a script polish of the upcoming “Dune: Part Two.”
“I’m out of the movie business, basically,” Mazin said. “I will work with certain directors when they call because I love them and because they’re so brilliant. So if, like, Denis Villeneuve calls, then absolutely. I’m there for, three-four weeks, a month, to work on what you’re working on. But mostly, I want to make my own things and be in charge of my own things, and that’s what HBO allows me to do.”
The mere mention of Villeneuve’s name prompted a question about “Dune: Part Two,” to which Mazin had to open up a little.
“I am a participating writer in ‘Dune: Part Two,’” he revealed. “I came long after… You come in and do a little bit of work… It used to be that you couldn’t even say that, but now they have this additional ‘Literary material’ thing at the end, so I am ‘Additional Literary Material.'”
The “Additional Literary Material” designation is a fairly new WGA rule that allows folks like Mazin to come in and do some quick work on a script without mucking up the “screenplay by” credits. So, apparently, that’s exactly what he’s doing.
As for whether or not folks should be hyped for “Dune: Part Two,” Mazin is clearly a fan of the work.
“Anytime Denis makes a movie, you should be excited,” he shared.
“The Last of Us” is now available to watch on Max, alongside “Dune: Part One.” You can watch the full discussion below (the ‘Dune’ talk happens around 48:00):