A noble family’s fate hangs in the balance as their son becomes haunted by visions of a dark future amidst a war for the galaxy’s most valuable resource. Based on Frank Herbert’s novel, a film by Denis Villeneuve, starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

DUNE is a film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s science fiction novel of the same name, first published in August 1965. The novel DUNE is the first book in DUNE saga, followed by Dune Messiah (1969), Children of Dune (1976), God Emperor of Dune (1981), Heretics of Dune (1984), and Chapterhouse: Dune (1985).

Frank Herbert’s novel DUNE won Nebula Awards in 1965 and Hugo Awards in the Best Novel category in 1966. Considered one of the best-selling science fiction novels of all time, it has sold over 20 million copies.

In 10156, Shaddam Corrino IV ascends to the throne as the 81st Padishah Emperor, following the poisoning death of his father, Elrood Corrino. Although he admires his distant cousin, Leto Atreides, Shaddam secretly harbors a desire to marry his daughter to Leto, should she come of age. He believes Leto’s honorable character and capable leadership would benefit his family, given his own lack of a male heir.

CALADAN — Homeworld of House Atreides

However, Shaddam’s admiration for Leto is overshadowed by fear and jealousy. Leto’s charisma and popularity among the Landsraad’s Great Houses threaten Shaddam’s authority. Seeking an ally, Shaddam turns to House Harkonnen, a sworn enemy of House Atreides. Together, they hatch a sinister plot to eliminate Leto and House Atreides.

Having ruled Arrakis for eighty years, House Harkonnen cultivates Spice Melange, the most valuable substance in the known universe. Prized for its ability to prolong life, enhance vitality, and heighten awareness. Spice is also crucial for interstellar travel. The Spacing Guild navigators rely on it to chart safe paths through the stars, rendering spice indispensable to the Imperium. This control over Spice production has made House Harkonnen obscenely wealthy and powerful.

The Fremen, indigenous to the desert planet Arrakis on the Old Imperium’s edge, have long struggled for survival in its harsh environment. This fight shapes their cultural identity, emphasizing frugality with resources like water, a necessity in Arrakis’ brutal setting. Additionally, their history of cultural persecution fuels a strong emphasis on combat skills. These factors combine to make them formidable warriors, utilizing their skills and the desert itself to fend off off-world invaders. Their blue eyes, known as Eyes of Ibad, result from consuming large amounts of Spice Melange. Since the Harkonnens’ arrival, the Fremen have fought relentlessly to reclaim their planet, albeit with past failures. However, an Imperial decree suddenly brings the Harkonnens’ rule to an end.

Timothée Chalamet as PAUL ATREIDES

Duke Leto Atreides shares an intimate relationship with his official concubine Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). They have a son, Paul (Timothée Chalamet) , who enjoys a privileged upbringing on the water-rich planet of Caladan, the ancestral Atreides home. Groomed from a young age to become the next leader of House Atreides, Paul receives tutelage from renowned figures: Swordmaster Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), Warmaster Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin), and Mentat/Master of Assassins Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson). Additionally, his mother, Jessica, a member of the Bene Gesserit Order, an ancient school of mental and physical training primarily for women, imparts her extensive knowledge of their methods and techniques on him.

A Mentat is a profession or discipline developed as a replacement for computerized calculation, akin to the Bene Gesserit and Spacing Guild who assumed functions previously provided by thinking machines. For thousands of years, society society has considered Mentats the embodiment of logic and reason.

There is no call we do not answer, there is no faith that we betray. The Emperor asks us to bring peace to Arrakis.

Josh Brolin as GURNEY HALLECK, Oscar Isaac as DUKE LETO ATREIDES, Stephen McKinley Henderson as THUFIR HAWAT, Rebecca Ferguson as LADY JESSICA, and Timothée Chalamet as PAUL ATREIDES

In 10191, Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), ruler of Caladan, receives a seemingly prestigious assignment from Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV: to replace Baron Vladimir Harkonnen as the fiefholder of Arrakis. However, Leto sees through the ruse, recognizing it as a trap set by the Emperor. Despite being unable to refuse the Emperor’s command, Leto believes an alliance with the Fremen, the indigenous people of Arrakis, could strengthen House Atreides. He therefore sends Duncan Idaho to Arrakis in advance, tasked with forging a peaceful relationship with the Fremen.

Like sifting sand through a screen, we sift people. If you had been unable to control your impulses, like an animal, we could not let you live. You inherit too much power.

Timothée Chalamet as PAUL ATREIDES & Charlotte Rampling as REVEREND MOTHER GAIUS HELEN MOHIAM

Concerned by Paul’s recurring strange dreams, Jessica reports them to the Bene Gesserit. Her teacher, Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling), Truthsayer to Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, travels to Caladan to test young Paul Atreides before his departure for Arrakis. She subjects Paul to a test of pain, which she would kill him with gom jabbar, a poisoned needle, if he fails. After passing the test, Paul discovers that he is part of the Bene Gesserit’s grand scheme. For millennia, they have meticulously crossed bloodlines to create a being with immense power, one who can bridge space and time – they call this being the Kwisatz Haderach.

I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little death that brings obliteration. And I’ll face my fear and I’ll permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past… I will turn the inner eye and see its path. And where the fear has gone, there will be nothing. Only I will remain.

David Dastmalchian as PITER DE VRIES & Stellan Skarsgård as BARON VLADIMIR HARKONNEN

Aware of the Emperor’s plot to eliminate Leto Atreides, Gaius Helen Mohiam ventures to Giedi Prime, Vladimir Harkonnen’s home planet. She attempts to secure the safety of Jessica and Paul, invoking the Bene Gesserit’s protection for both mother and son. While Vladimir Harkonne (Stellan Skarsgård) promises to spare them, his duplicitous nature leads him to devise a different plan: exploiting the harsh desert environment of Arrakis to achieve their demise.

Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE is the second attempt to bring Frank Herbert’s beloved novel to the big screen, following David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation. Canadian filmmaker Denis Villeneuve successfully captures the expansive world of DUNE by filming in real locations around the world, including Wadi Rum in Jordan, the Liwa Oasis in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi, and Stadlandet in Norway. He also used practical sets at Origo Film Studios in Hungary, which served as the interiors for the three planets.

The film is further elevated by the mesmerizing music of Hans Zimmer, a self-proclaimed admirer of Frank Herbert’s DUNE, much like director Denis Villeneuve. Zimmer’s score perfectly complements the film’s depiction of a dystopian future where, following the Butlerian Jihad (a war against machines), humanity has abandoned computers and artificial intelligence. He even went the extra mile by crafting new instruments specifically for this film, ensuring a truly innovative soundscape.

For thousands of years, we’ve been carefully crossings bloodlines to bring forth a mind… powerful enough to bridge space and time. Past and future.

Rebecca Ferguson as LADY JESSICA

All cast members deliver impressive performances, perfectly embodying their respective roles. Rebecca Ferguson particularly shines as Lady Jessica, portraying her character with captivating complexity. Torn between her duties as a mother, wife, and Bene Gesserit member, Ferguson conveys a range of emotions even without dialogue, leaving audiences deeply invested. The editing also deserves praise, with its ingenious use of slow-motion effectively amplifying the scenes’ power and impact.

A great man doesn’t seek to lead. He’s called to it, and he answers.

Zendaya as CHANI & Timothée Chalamet as PAUL ATREIDES

Adapted from the original novel by Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth, and Denis Villeneuve, the film’s script is equally impressive as the directing itself. Even viewers who haven’t read the book can easily follow the plot and enjoy the story. Every scene and costume is a beauty to behold, making the 2-hour-and-35-minute runtime feel surprisingly swift.

Denis Villeneuve meticulously crafted DUNE for the biggest screens and the most immersive sound systems imaginable. Utilizing IMAX-certified Arri Alexa LF and Alexa Mini LF cameras, he captured the film’s grand scale on a monumental canvas. Watching DUNE in an IMAX theater, as the filmmaker intended, allows you to fully experience its epic scope and power.

DUNE was originally slated for release in the United States on 20 November 2020. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Warner Bros. postponed its release indefinitely until a new date could be determined. The film finally premiered at the Venice International Film Festival (La Biennale di Venezia) on 3 September 2021.

Warner Bros. initially planned a U.S. theatrical release for DUNE on 1 October but ultimately scrapped the plan to avoid competition with Cary Joji Fukunaga’s NO TIME TO DIE, which was scheduled for release on 8 October. Meanwhile, DUNE had its international theatrical rollout starting 15 September, in countries without HBO Max, including France, Italy, Sweden, Switzerland, Austria, Belgium, and Norway. In Thailand, DUNE was set for a theatrical release on 21 October 2021.

In the U.S., DUNE’s original release plan included both a theatrical debut on 22 October 2021, and a simultaneous one-month streaming release on HBO Max. This decision by HBO and Warner Bros. upset director Denis Villeneuve, theater owners, and production companies involved in the film’s creation and funding. They argued that DUNE was intended for the big screen experience and that box office revenue, generated solely through ticket sales, was crucial to recoup its $165 million budget.

Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of “Dune’s” scope and scale. Warner Bros.’ decision means “Dune” won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph. Warner Bros. might just have killed the “Dune” franchise. — “Dune” is by far the best movie I’ve ever made. My team and I devoted more than three years of our lives to make it a unique big screen experience. Our movie’s image and sound were meticulously designed to be seen in theaters. — Denis Villeneuve

Timothée Chalamet & Denis Villeneuve

On 17 October 2021, an unauthorized digital copy of Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE surfaced online, ahead of its scheduled release on HBO Max.

However, Denis Villeneuve’s DUNE film cannot fully encompass the original 412-page novel. The complexities and numerous essential characters render it impossible to translate the entire story into a single film. Villeneuve has condensed about 60% of the source material into this movie and awaits Legendary’s greenlight for a potential DUNE Part Two to explore the remaining narrative.

Following the critical and commercial success of the first film, Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment officially greenlit “DUNE: Part Two” on 27 October 2021.

DUNE garnered ten nominations (Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, Best Sound, Best Production Design, Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Visual Effects) at the 94th Academy Awards, held at the Dolby Theatre in Hollywood on 27 March 2022. The film triumphed in six categories, winning awards for Original Score (Hans Zimmer), Best Film Editing (Joe Walker), Best Costume Design (Jacqueline West & Robert Morgan), Best Cinematography (Greig Fraser), Best Production Design (Zsuzsanna Sipos & Patrice Vermette), and Best Visual Effects (Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor & Gerd Nefzer).