Josh Brolin has hit out at the Oscars for snubbing 'Dune: Part Two' director Denis Villeneuve.

While the sci-fi movie has been nominated in categories like Best Picture, Cinematography, Visual Effects, Production Design, and Sound, the 57-year-old filmmaker was not put forward for the Best Director honour at the upcoming 97th Academy Awards, and Brolin - who plays the Atreides war master Gurney Halleck in the franchise - has insisted it "makes no sense" Villeneuve is not up for the accolade.

Taking to his Instagram Stories, the 56-year-old actor wrote: "Just want to say congratulations on the 'Dune' best picture nomination, to Greig Fraser on cinematography, for best visual effects, for Patrice [Vermett] on production design and for sound.

"Apparently, I am going to quit acting because Denis Villeneuve didn't get nominated. This is just how this thing works. It makes no sense to me. That's okay.

"[Editor] Joe Walker and Denis, you deserve it. It's an amazing film. It was even better than the first one. The people who have gotten accolades surely deserve it. Happy to be a part of it. Congrats everyone."

Last November, the 'No Country for Old Men' star vowed he would quit acting if Villeneuve wasn't nominated for Best Director at the 97th Academy Awards.

He told Variety: "If [Villeneuve] doesn't get nominated this year, I'll quit acting. It was a better movie than the first one.

"When I watched it, it felt like my brain was broken open. It's masterful, and Denis is one of our master filmmakers. If the Academy Awards have any meaning whatsoever, they'll recognise him."

As well as Best Director, 'Dune: Part Two' missed out on the Best Original Score award, and Villeneuve voiced his disappointment composer Hans Zimmer wouldn't be recognised for his work on the film after he had won the same honour for the first 'Dune' movie.

The 'Blade Runner 2049' director told Slash Film: "I am absolutely against the decision of the Academy to exclude Hans, frankly, because I feel like his score is one of the best scores of the year.

"I don't use the word genius often, but Hans is one."

The Academy - which rules that 80 per cent of a movie's score had to be unique - disqualified 'Dune: Part Two' from the Best Original Score category due to its similarity to its predecessor's composition.

While 'Dune: Part Two' doesn't meet the Academy's conditions for the award, the 'Sicario' filmmaker insisted both flicks were "one movie that is cut in half", and so naturally there would be a musical "continuity" between the first and second blockbusters.

Even if 'Dune: Part Two' - which stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Austin Butler - won't be up for the award, Villeneuve emphasised much of the franchise's success was down to Zimmer.

He explained: "Hans has been my partner since day one.

"The first artist I contacted was Hans Zimmer. I knew he loved the book, I knew he wanted to work with me on this project. [He's] my closest ally to discuss the underlayer of what the movie meant."