Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has been a long time coming. Originally scheduled for November 2020, the COVID pandemic pushed it back almost an entire year to October 2021. This meant a painful wait for fans of Frank Herbert’s classic science-fiction novel, especially as this looks to be the best live-action adaptation yet.
Herbert’s dense and often surreal fictional universe can take a while to grasp, but readers who put in the effort often fall head over heels in love with the series (to the point where you wish they would shut up about Dune already). But works in a book doesn’t necessarily work in a feature-length movie, as several past directors have discovered.
That being said, this new footage underlines that Arrival and Blade Runner 2049 helmer Denis Villeneuve may succeed where others have stumbled. Like the previous trailers, this proves that if nothing else, the movie will bring Arrakis to life, teasing shots of the desert planet and quick peeks at each of the main characters, showing off their cool Stillsuits and organic tech design.
In addition, this trailer confirms that of all the movies being released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max this year, Dune is the one to catch on the big screen. I don’t care how big a TV you have, Villeneuve’s epic landscapes deserve to be appreciated on the grandest scale possible.
Despite all the signs looking good from these trailers, there are still a couple of caveats. One is that this installment is the first of two parts. Villeneuve explained in an interview that he didn’t think he could fit Dune‘s story into a single film, saying:
“I would not agree to make this adaptation of the book with one single movie. The world is too complex. It’s a world that takes its power in details.”
This is a risky move as it’s unclear whether the sequel has been greenlit or whether its future rests on the success of part one (and at the back of my mind is the middling box office numbers for Blade Runner 2049).
In any case, right now, I’m just glad thatafter suffering through that year-long delay we’re finally getting Dune on October 22, 2021. We should get a better idea of how it’s turned out sooner though, as it’ll premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 3, 2021.
