Dune Star Says First Trailer Arrives This Month

In a recent tweet, Timothée Chalamet promised a fan that the first trailer for his upcoming science fiction epic Dune would arrive “before September.” The news comes as a relief to many, considering how the coronavirus pandemic has either halted or significantly delayed the release of most major motion pictures.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with the source material, Dune will be an adaptation of a famous sci-fi novel of the same name. Written by Frank Herbert, it tells the story of a dethroned heir who seeks to avenge his murdered father by slaughtering their family’s age-old rivals. As far as intrigue goes, it’s basically Game of Thrones in space.

That’s not to say Dune isn’t original. Not only were Herbert’s stories written before George R.R. Martin ever got around to writing A Song of Ice and Fire, but his style and interests are completely his own. Also, unlike Martin’s work, Dune takes a particular interest in the ecology of its setting. The titular desert planet not only houses several cultures, but its own distinct flora and fauna as well.

Dune has been in development for a long time, and for good reason. Although Herbert’s work has been adapted to screens big and small in the past, it’s never been done with much success. For his own attempt, Arrival maestro Denis Villeneuve claimed to have spent over a year crafting the story’s most iconic set pieces.

Fortunately for fans, the time has finally come for them to see the fruit of Villeneuve’s labor. Up until this point, the world has seen only a handful of stills, but no trailer. If Chalamet is telling the truth, however, that will change before September – meaning the first footage from Dune could drop in less than three weeks.