The first trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune hit the internet yesterday, and despite claims that mounting a faithful adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel is almost impossible, the filmmaker behind Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 certainly looks to have given it his best shot.
The visuals are as clean and expertly assembled as we’ve come to expect from Villeneuve, while the blockbuster sci-fi also seems to have struck the difficult balance between maintaining a minimalist aesthetic and going all-out on lavish production design. Furthermore, the cast boasts one of the most stacked ensembles to be found in any big budget epic outside of the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Timothée Chalamet taking the lead role backed by a star-studded lineup that also includes Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.
A social media event was held to celebrate the debut of the stunning first footage, and when asked about his experience on Dune, Oscar Isaac couldn’t resist taking a shot at co-star Josh Brolin. When it came to describing the vast practical sets, the 41 year-old veered wildly off course and instead decided to point out the size of Brolin’s head, saying:
“I’ll just say that no set piece, no X-wing, no Millennium Falcon could compare to the sheer scale of Josh Brolin’s head. It was massive, both literally and figuratively. It really made me feel like I was in an alien planet.”
The MCU’s Thanos had no response to the cranial criticism that came completely out of nowhere, but you would have to imagine that Brolin has developed a pretty thick skin having been working in the industry for 35 years at this point. Besides, the cast seem to be getting along great, so let’s hope that chemistry and sense of togetherness translates to the screen should Dune avoid the continued rumors of a delay and arrive in theaters as scheduled in December.
