The upcoming Dune release has received plenty of hype. The perfect storm of COVID-induced delays, an all-star cast, and a cult-classic story getting the blockbuster treatment has made this film one of the most highly-anticipated cinema releases of 2021. In fact, since its release at the Venice International Film Festival in September (and its subsequent cinematic release worldwide), it’s even received the Rotten Tomatoes certified fresh rating.
The story of Dune has been told many times, in both TV series and on the big screen, but this particular remake is, rightly so, whipping the loyal fanbase into an excited frenzy. One big selling point is that Dune won’t cover the entire story laid out in Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel and its many sequels.
In fact, director, Denis Villeneuve (who also helmed Blade Runner 2049), has explained in various interviews that he signed on to the project under the condition that it be made in two parts (part two is currently in pre-production). This film, which follows Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) as he’s being groomed to one day take over the top spot in House Atreiedes from his father Duke Leto Atreides (played by Star Wars’ Oscar Isaac).
Since the release of the trailer — which has racked up more than 20 million views and almost 30,000 comments to date — there’s been plenty of chatter online about how Dune could, to the untrained eye, be mistaken for a story inspired by such franchises as Star Wars and Game of Thrones. But as staunch Dune fans are quick to point out, it’s probably the other way around. In fact, since Dune’s inception in 1965, it’s been speculated that it inspired the very same science fiction stories it’s been accused of taking inspiration from.
As one fan admits on YouTube, Dune just hasn’t had the same cultural presence and hype as these other franchises and, with it now bursting back onto our screens with an undeniably current cast lead by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya (two of the biggest stars in Hollywood right now), it’s only making this iteration all the more interesting.
At its heart, Dune is a coming-of-age adventure movie that sees Chalamet’s character, Paul Atreides, explore very real human emotions alongside his familial obligations. “Here’s a story that has to do with first love and confirmation of desire,” says Chalamet. “It’s the moral catalyst to [push] Paul’s arc towards something greater.” This alone is enough to add more depth to a story that’s largely about the generational vendettas and battles occurring between House Atreides and the Harkonnens on native lands that don’t even belong to them in the first place.
Meanwhile, you have female characters who are well-established fighters. We see this with Zendaya, as she fights to protect her native lands in Arrakis from yet another mob of invaders, and also with Rebecca Ferguson’s character Lady Jessica, who’s a fierce protector of her family. This is a dynamic that we’re, admittedly, seeing more on-screen all the time, but is still very much welcomed and worthy of hype in its own right.
If you want a bonus look behind the production curtain of Dune, be sure to watch the featurette above before the film is released, only in cinemas on 2 December, 2021.
