‘Monsters’ Star Javier Bardem on Not Wanting to Meet the Menendez Brothers and Insisting He Doesn’t Know If He’s in ‘Dune 3’

Sat Nov 23 05:10:00 UTC 2024: ## Javier Bardem: From Animated Musical to “Monsters” and a Possible “Dune” Return

**Madrid, Spain** – Oscar-winning actor Javier Bardem has juggled two vastly different projects: a family-friendly animated musical and a chilling true crime drama. His new film, “Spellbound,” a musical directed by Vicky Jenson and featuring music by Alan Menken, is a far cry from his recent role as the abusive father in the limited series “Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story.”

Bardem revealed that his children loved “Spellbound,” an animated film co-starring Nicole Kidman and Rachel Zegler, which tackles complex themes of family and love. He described it as a “smart, powerful” movie with a message he wished he’d seen as a child. The actor admitted that his at-home vocal rehearsals were less appreciated by his kids.

His performance in “Monsters” saw Bardem portray José Menendez, the father of Lyle and Erik Menendez, who are serving life sentences for murdering their parents. Bardem emphasized the importance of protecting his co-stars, Nicholas Alexander Chavez and Cooper Koch, from the emotional weight of the role, reminding them to separate the fictional narrative from their reality. While he extensively researched the role, Bardem chose not to contact the Menendez brothers. He stated that he trusted the series creators’ research and felt unable to directly engage with the individuals involved in the case.

The actor expressed his opinion on the ongoing efforts to review the Menendez brothers’ case, stating that if new evidence of abuse is presented, it deserves careful consideration.

Looking ahead, Bardem’s involvement in “Dune: Messiah,” the third installment of the sci-fi franchise, remains uncertain. While he’s confident he’s in the book, and thus should be in the script, he ultimately defers to director Denis Villeneuve, whom he deeply admires. Bardem recounted a funny anecdote of his son’s reaction to “Dune 2,” demanding more sword fighting scenes for his father in the potential sequel.