From the Oscar-nominated director Denis Villeneuve, comes an exciting, new trailer featuring an all-star cast: Dune looks and feels as sleek and stunning as one would expect.
Just like the 1965 book, the trailer for Dune begins with Paul Atreides (Timotheée Chalamet) discussing his prophetic dreams. “Do you often dream things that happen, just as you dreamed them?” asks the Reverend Mother (Charlotte Rampling). “Yes,” he responds. She then asks him to place his hand in a black box — a test for his strength of character. What’s in the box? Pain.
And just like that, we receive a first look into this universe. For the director of Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival, directing Dune has been an (almost) life-long dream since he had read the novel as a teenager. Despite two previous attempts to adapt Frank Herbert’s novel, I would expect this movie to be nothing short of excellent. That is considering not only Villeneuve’s love for the novel but also his experience with artful sci-fi films.
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune. Image Source: Warner Bros
However, it is not just the name of the director that sets the bar high for Dune. The movie features an impressive cast: Timotheée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem and others. There is no doubt that we will see fantastic acting onscreen; in fact, there are already peeks of that in the trailer.
In sci-fi films, universe-building is, at times, just as important as the plot. My personal concern is the fact that the universe might consume its actors — after all, preserving “that richness [of the book]” was one of Villeneuve’s goals. Even so, the trailer seems to perfectly balance the two: showcasing the stunning desert plains, the action scenes and the characters’ interaction with each other. One could only hope that the same applies to the movie itself.
Perhaps, this is the Dune adaptation that all fans of the novel have been waiting for. After the ambitious-but-failed attempt by Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation, which was insufficient in conveying the grandiosity of the book, perhaps it is Villeneuve who will finally bring justice to one of the most popular sci-fi novels.
In fact, Villeneuve is going as far as splitting the epic novel into two films. Although nothing is yet known about the second installment, its fate will most probably be determined by the success of the first film. Given the high quality of the trailer, we can await not just Dune on December 16th… But also, the second movie in a few years.
Featured Image via Warner Bros
