Steven Spielberg has hailed Denis Villeneuve's Dune pictures as "among my favourite science-fiction movies of all time".

The legendary filmmaker, 79, is a huge fan of Villeneuve's take on Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel and confessed that he "cannot wait" to watch the trilogy's concluding film Dune: Part Three when it is released later this year.

Spielberg, who is returning to the sci-fi genre with his upcoming movie Disclosure Day, told Empire magazine: "Recently, I've loved the Dune movies. They are among my favourite science-fiction movies, not just recently, but of all time. Especially the second film.

"I think (Part Two) is the best movie Denis has ever made. I cannot wait to see the third one. I'm sure he'll show it to me early. I'm such a fan of his."

The E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial director continued: "I love the (Dune) books, and I just think his tribute to the books is like Guillermo (del Toro)'s tribute to Mary Shelley with Frankenstein: he honoured Mary Shelley and I think Denis honoured Frank Herbert."

It isn't the first time that Spielberg has praised the Dune movies, as he hailed Villeneuve as a "builder of worlds" who merited a place alongside the industry's finest directors during a Q+A with the Canadian filmmaker following the release of Dune: Part Two in 2024.

The Jaws helmer told Villeneuve at a Directors Guild of America event: "Let me start by saying there are filmmakers who are the builders of worlds.

"It's not a long list and I know who a lot of them are. Starting with (Georges) Méliés and (Walt) Disney and (Stanley) Kubrick, George Lucas.

"Ray Harryhausen I include in that list. (Federico) Fellini built his own worlds. Tim Burton. Obviously Wes Anderson, Peter Jackson, James Cameron, Christopher Nolan, Ridley Scott, Guillermo del Toro.

"The list goes on but it's not that long of a list, and I deeply, fervently believe that you are one of its newest members... And that scene surfing the sandworms is one of the greatest things I have ever seen. Ever!"

Dune: Part Three will see Timothee Chalamet return as Paul Atreides and the Marty Supreme star recently recalled how he pushed himself harder than ever for the closing movie in Villeneuve's epic space story.

Speaking at Variety and CNN's event at the University of Texas at Austin earlier this year, the 30-year-old star said: "I didn't want to be complacent about a single moment. Everything was sacred, and it was my last time doing a Dune film, so I really wanted to treat it as sacred.

"Because people can get complacent, but I was more intense on the third one. It felt like that was the natural momentum, so I wanted to push against that as hard as I could."