In 2021, we saw the impossible happen. Visionary director and auteur Denis Villeneuve brought Frank Herbert’s seminal science fantasy novel “Dune” to the big screen in all its visual and narrative glory! Considered to have been the inspiration behind such franchises as “Star Wars” and “Warhammer 40,000”, the story of “Dune” follows the journey of the messiah-to-be Paul Atreides as he watches the fall of his great house at the hands of his enemies. Out of the ashes though, he is reborn as something greater than a mere duke. In time, he will become a god for the people of Arrakis and beyond. “Dune: Part Two” picks up where the last film left off with Paul following the Fremen after defeating one of their warriors. Feel free to check out our breakdown of the ending for more details!
There is a great and terrible destiny ahead of Paul and with the first major look at the film dropping at CinemaCon, we figured that now would be a great time to get you up to speed with all the key characters and events that will take place in the upcoming film. We’ll also be breaking down what fans can expect from the franchise going forward (no Spice Melange) required! So without further ado, let’s get into it!
The Plot and Characters
The official synopsis of “Dune: Part Two” foretells that Paul, played by Timothée Chalamet, will be spending a significant amount of the film with the Fremen. Much like Jake Sully with the Na’vi in “Avatar”, the film will follow Paul as he learns the way of the Fremen and earns the respect of the locals. Not long, a Freman named Chani, played by Zendaya, and Paul begin to fall in love as they strive to prepare their people in anticipation of the war against House Harkonnen, the faction that murdered his father and killed Duncan Idaho in the first film. As he leads various successful attacks against the Harkonnens, he is soon revered by the Fremen and granted the messianic title of Muad’dib.
Meanwhile, his mother Jessica Atriedes, played by Rebecca Ferguson, becomes a matriarch to the Fremen as she is able to provide them with the Water of Life. The Water of Life is a type of poison from the sandworms that when processed in Jessica’s body, creates a form of Spice that grants its users powerful psychic abilities that border on omniscience. She’s also pregnant with the child of her late husband Leto Atreides, Alia. Like Paul, Alia too possesses great power and wisdom of the Bene Gesserit. She’ll have a very important role in the film, especially in taking down the Harkonnens.
At the risk of his own sanity and humanity, Paul uses the Spice Melange to ascend to new levels of prescience and power. At some point, he’s essentially able to foresee how the future will play out and is able to lead his forces using this knowledge. In one brilliant play, he manages to defeat the Harkonnens and the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. Peace is secured with his marriage to Shaddam IV’s daughter, Irulan Corrino.
“Dune: Part Two” is set to see a number of new characters showing up in the storyline. Joining the cast is Austin Butler as the sadistic Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen who is the Harkonnen’s heir to Arrakis, Florence Pugh will be playing Princess Irulan Corrino and Christopher Walken will be playing her father, the scheming Shaddam IV. The film is set to finally conclude the war between Paul and the Harkonnens and will sow the seeds of his future rule as the God Emperor of the Known Universe! If “Dune: Part One” served as the opening bang for Paul’s journey then “Dune: Part Two” will be its grand crescendo. Expect to see a whole more action this time around!
The Reign of Paul Atreides
If the film does perform well at the box office, Villeneuve does have plans for a third and final film to round off the story with “Dune: Part Three”. He mentioned that the third film would be based on the sequel to the first novel, “Dune Messiah”, which would chronicle the reign of Paul Atreides as the emperor over the universe. In this third film, Paul will unleash a wave of violence across the entire universe as his Fremen wage a holy war in his name. As much as he mourns the blood on his hands, his god-like ability to see into the future assures him that this is the best possible outcome. With a heavy heart and crown, he will have to steer humanity away from destruction and bloodshed into a new golden age.
Meanwhile, there are powerful forces within the empire conspiring to destroy Paul and his vision for the future. These factions include the powerful Bene Gesserit and the various organisations that profit from the Spice trade. Without giving too much away, let’s just say that by the end of the third film, you won’t exactly be sure who to root for as the universe tears itself apart in the name of faith in a reluctant god. If all goes well, this film will serve as the epic, heartbreaking and bittersweet conclusion to Villeneuve’s “Dune” trilogy.
In addition to a possible third film, a series based on the “Dune” universe has also been announced. One set 10,000 years before the events of the first film, “Dune: The Sisterhood”. The series will follow the story of how two sisters created one of the most powerful organisations in the universe, the Bene Gesserit. So describing the Bene Gesserit can be a tad complicated but basically imagine if the Jedi Order was run by a bunch of power-hungry nuns that seek to acquire political power in an effort to bring about the enlightenment of humanity.
Seeing how Paul Atreides’ powers come from his lineage to the Bene Gesserit, a series revolving around the organisation would certainly be a rich and fascinating one. Think of it as the “House of the Dragon” of the “Dune” franchise. A series that fleshes out the in-universe lore with a whole new cast of characters.
Be sure to check out “Dune: Part Two” when it hits theatres this November!
