Given the dense lore and rich worldbuilding in Frank Herbert’s Dune novel series, it only makes sense that the first part of Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film adaptation had a slower pacing to set things up.
With Dune: Part Two, that’s all due to change. A new trailer for the upcoming sequel has offered a tantalising look at what’s to come, and boy, does it deliver on the action. In it, Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides is seen riding a sandworm on the sand, uh, dunes of Arrakis, rallying his troops, and gearing up for a Chrys Nife battle as war looms on the horizon.
The reel also unveiled an albino, bald Austin Butler as the notorious heir of House Harkonnen Feyd Rautha, whom Villeneuve has described as an “Olympic sword master crossed with a psychotic serial killer.” At one point, Florence Pugh appears in royal costume as Princess Irulan Corrino, joining fellow franchise newcomers Christopher Walken, who plays the Emperor, Léa Seydoux (Lady Margot), and Souheila Yacoub (Shishakli), among others.
The action-packed reveal comes after Villeneuve shared his notion at CinemaCon 2023, when he showed off the first footage of the movie. “Part One is more of a contemplative movie. Part Two is an action-packed, epic war movie. It is much more dense. We went to all new locations,” said the filmmaker. “I didn’t want a feeling of repetition. It’s all new sets. Everything is new.”
Dune: Part Two will hit theatres on 3 November. Apart from Chalamet, the list of returning stars include Zendaya (Chani), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica Atreides), Javier Bardem (Stilgar), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Stellan Skarsgård (Baron Vladimir Harkonnen), Dave Bautista (Glossu Rabban Harkonnen), Charlotte Rampling (Reverend Mother Mohiam), and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Thufir Hawat).
While not official just yet, Paul’s story might get a continuation sometime in the near future, as Villeneuve has previously expressed interest in making a third installment based on Herbert’s Dune Messiah (1969), the second book in the series.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
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