The highly-anticipated release of Dune is finally upon us, so it’s time to get to know the actors who are bringing this sci-fi remake to life. Just like the original 1965 science-fiction novel by Frank Herbert, this iteration of Dune follows Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) — the heir to Duke Leto Atreides (played by Star Wars’ Oscar Isaac) and House Atreides.
The story is told with House Atreides firmly at the centre, every other character and family is, by default, explored through the lens of how they fit into the Atreides orbit. Through the film, we’ll see how intergenerational battles lead the Atreides family to relocate to Arrakis, all in the name of spice melange, a fictional drug that’s extremely rare and valuable, and native to Arrakis lands.
It’s in Arrakis that Zendaya’s (of the MCU’s Spider-Man and Euphoria) character, Chani, enters the fold (though she’s been present in Paul’s dreams before this). A native to the lands, she’s seen foreigners invade and cause mass destruction to the land, and rain suffering and genocide on the people who inhabit it. She’s a fighter and this is a dynamic we’ll see play out in Dune.
It’s been 37 years since the first Dune adaptation and this one has broadly been hyped as the best one to-date, not just because the cast brings together some of the best talent in Hollywood right now. To put it simply, the cast is stacked.
Big names like Chalamet and Zendaya star in main roles alongside the likes of Josh Brolin and Aquaman’s Jason Momoa whose character, Duncan Idaho, is the protector of the Atreides family. “He’s definitely the head knight and he watches over the [Atriedes] family,” says Momoa. “That’s his sworn duty and that’s what any honourable knight or soldier does. I mean, that’s his family, that’s who he bleeds for.”
Because every good action movie has a villain, we also see Stellan Skarsgård (of Chernobil fame) step into the boots of Vladimir Harkonnen, the leader of House Atreides’ rivals. But it isn’t just the men we see putting up a fight. Rebecca Ferguson’s (from the Mission Impossible franchise and The Greatest Showman) character Lady Jessica, who plays a key role in House Atreides, as bodyguard, fighter and fierce protector of her family.
If you want to dig a little bit deeper into the psyche of the key players in Dune, be sure to watch the featurette above before the movie comes out, only in cinemas on 2 December, 2021.
