Denis Villeneuve turned down Timothée Chalamet for a role in his movie Prisoners, the director has revealed.

The 2013 kidnapping thriller was cast before Chalamet had not yet had his big breakthrough in Hollywood.

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According to a new GQ profile of the actor, when the pair met to discuss Dune, the director told Chalamet he was happy to finally meet him, prompting the star to remind him of their last meeting.

Of his Prisoners tryout, Villeneuve said: “He did a great audition, but he didn’t physically fit the part. He was probably swearing at me because I didn’t take him.”

The director also commented on Chalamet’s relationships with his Dune co-stars Josh Brolin, Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa. “I felt like Timothée was deeply seduced — or maybe not seduced, but I just felt it was like a kid being with older brothers,” he said. “He was younger, he was the little one on set, and everybody loved him.

“There’s a scene in the movie where Timothée runs into the arms of Jason Momoa, and Jason grabs him like a puppy and lifts him into the air like he was a feather. And that’s real! They really loved each other. It was very beautiful to see this young man being influenced by these people he admires.”

Chalamet will play Paul Atreides in the forthcoming Dune, which was recently delayed from its December release date to October 1, 2021.

Meanwhile, Chalamet is set to play Bob Dylan in an upcoming movie next year. The actor asked Joel Coen, who used the star as inspiration for Inside Llewyn Davis, for advice on tackling the musician.