Fifty-five years after Frank Herbert wrote one of the most iconic novels of our time, we get a look at a new trailer for what could be 2020’s greatest blockbuster movie: Dune.
This latest adaptation of Dune is the product of writer/director Denis Villeneuve who is planning a two-part series with each film covering one half of Herbert’s novel.
In this latest trailer, we see young Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, as he develops his role as heir to the House Atreides through trials, tribulations, and his uniquely prophetic dreams. Paul is set to inherit his father’s mining operation on the planet Arrakis (also known as Dune) which contains the only known source of the life-extending and space-bending drug known as melange, or “the spice.”
While the trailer skips around quite a bit, we do get to see glimpses of some of the most iconic characters from the book, including Paul’s father Duke Leto (played by Oscar Isaac of Star Wars fame), and the Duke’s right-hand man Duncan Idaho (played by Game of Thrones’ Jason Momoa).
Former Disney child star Zendaya plays Paul’s eventual love interest: a native of Arrakis named Chani. The people of Arrakis, known as the Femen, believe that Paul is their savior, so it’s certainly an interesting relationship. We actually get to see quite a bit of Zendaya in this trailer, indicating that she may play a major role in this film.
Most of the trailer is narrated by Paul and his religion’s matriarch, Reverend Mother Mohiam, who tests Paul with a painful hand trap. “An animal caught in a trap will gnaw off its own leg to escape,” she advises. “What will you do?”
After some impressive battle scenes — both on the ground and in space — we see a behemoth sandworm rise up from the ground, ready to attack. The scope of the beast is an example of just how much larger this iteration of the movie is over its predecessor that didn’t do so well in 1984.
And the whole time you’re watching this trailer, you might be wondering what that gorgeous song is playing in the background. It’s none other than Pink Floyd’s “Eclipse” as scored by veteran composer Hans Zimmer. You’re welcome!
Dune is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2020 while a spinoff series that focuses on Reverend Mother Mohiam’s Bene Gesserit sisterhood is expected to release on HBO Max some time before the second movie is released.
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