Dune Director Says the Series Is More ‘Relatable’ Now Than When Frank Herbert Wrote the Novels

Three-time Academy Award-nominated filmmaker Denis Villeneuve released his first Dune in 2021 to huge critical and commercial acclaim. He divided Frank Herbert’s first novel from the same-titled series into two parts, with Dune: Part Two surpassing the success of the first installment, and the director weighed in on the series’ relatability in our current times.

Speaking to Deadline, Denis Villeneuve further explained the appeal of the Dune series, beyond its sci-fi theme and complex world-building. As the film is currently in the middle of the award-season campaign, the director noted that the reason why the series succeeded is because it’s “a human journey.” He also highlighted the importance of Paul Atreides’ relationship with Chani.

“When you think about it, [Dune: Part Two] is not really about technology,” Villeneuve explained. “So it’s not really sci-fi. It’s more a human journey. It’s more an adventure movie, but also, again, a human journey. And so the technology is more in the background.” The series followed Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides’ journey from the fall of the House Atreides to his union with the Fremen against the House Harkonnen.

Villeneuve further explained that the Fremen’s attempt and desire to transform their home into a fertile land is “relatable now more than when Herbert wrote his stories.” He also draws attention to the cultures the author explored “and the shock between those cultures and the political game between those cultures and the journey of this adolescent boy, Paul Atreides, that becomes a man being in contact with a new culture with Chani, this young woman.”

Villeneuve argued that Paul and Chani’s relationship “is at the heart of the film.” He continued, “It’s like the whole movie is structured around Paul and Chani’s relationship.”

Naturally, the idea of a man discovering and adapting to another culture, the way Paul Atreides did with the Fremen, is something that attracted him to the story. “I like the idea that we will, through the eyes of Paul Atreides, discover a culture, start to fall in love with this culture… and what moved me in the book at first was the idea that a young man can consolidate his identity in another culture and find himself. It’s beautiful.”

As Dune: Part Two showed in its shocking ending, Paul and Chani’s happily-ever-after is difficult. “But unfortunately the politics of the world will bring him back to his origins. He continued that “he will have to do something awful and betray the love of his life.” He continued, “So it’s a very intimate story that opens up the whole scope of the movie.”

Denis Villeneuve Will Continue the Series With Dune: Messiah

The Dune films’ appeal is incontestable. The first installment was a big hit with the critics and the audience, getting a Certified Fresh rating of 83% on Rotten Tomatoes, and a Verified Hot score of 90% from the audience. It was also commercially successful, ending its theater run with $439.9 million at the box office, more than twice its $165 million budget. However, the sequel surpassed the first installment.

Dune: Part Two had an even better reception from the critics than the first one. The sequel boasts a Certified Fresh score with a 92% approval score, with a Verified Hot status, and a 95% score from the audience. With a slightly bigger budget of $190 million, Dune: Part Two became one of the biggest films of 2024, grossing $709.5 million worldwide. It’s currently the second highest-grossing live-action movie of the year after Deadpool & Wolverine, and the fourth title overall after the animated films Inside Out 2 and Despicable Me 4.

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Denis Villeneuve explained he would not adapt all of Frank Herbert’s novels in the series, but he will return to the Dune universe to adapt the second novel, Dune: Messiah. Although there are few details about when the movie will come out in theaters, Villeneuve just gave an exciting update about the threequel. “I’m in the writing zone right now,” Villeneuve revealed to the same outlet.

“But yes, like Herbert did with Dune: Messiah, I think it’ll be a great idea to do something completely different. The story takes place like 12 years after where we left the characters at the end of Part Two. Their journey, their story is different this time, and that’s why I always say that while it’s the same world it’s a new film with new circumstances.”

The first two Dune installments are available to stream on Max.

Source: Deadline

Director

Denis Villeneuve

Release Date

February 28, 2024

Cast

Timothee Chalamet , Zendaya , Florence Pugh , Austin Butler , Christopher Walken , Rebecca Ferguson

Runtime

2 hours 46 minutes

Main Genre

Sci-Fi