Dune Movie 2021 – Review, Storyline, Release Date

Dune is a Canadian – Hungarian – British – American science fiction film co-written and directed by Denis Villeneuve, scheduled for release in 2021. This is the third adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel Dune, after David Lynch’s Dune (1984) and John Harrison’s three-part miniseries Dune (2000).

In order to best respect the story of the novel, the project has been divided into two films. Therefore, the Dune movie, slated for 2021, adapts the first part of the novel.

Summary / Storyline

In the distant future of humanity, Duke Leto Atreides accepts the management of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as “Dune,” which is the sole source of this universe’s most precious substance, “l’Spice’, a drug that prolongs human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes long-distance space travel possible.

Although Leto knows this opportunity is a complex trap set by his enemies, he takes his concubine Bene Gesserit, Lady Jessica, her young son and heir Paul, and his most trusted advisers onto Arrakis.

Leto takes control of the Spice extraction operation, made perilous by the presence of giant sandworms. But, after a bitter betrayal that leads to the death of the Duke, Paul and Jessica reach the Fremen, the native people of Arrakis who live in the deep desert of the planet.

Dune Movie Full Cast

Production and Development

In November 2016, the American production company Legendary Pictures recovered the rights to adapt Dune for cinema projects. The producers of this project are Mary Parent and Cale Boyter. Line Producers are Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson.

The 1st February 2017, it is announced that Denis Villeneuve will direct the film and at the same time becomes the producer of the project. Unlike his previous feature films, Denis Villeneuve decides to take his time to develop the film. He says he has not felt so free to design a project since his film Incendies. To help him write Dune, the director calls on screenwriter Eric Roth. The writers who have resumed publication of Dune’s work novels since 2000, Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, are also consultants on Screenplay.

Given the scope of the novel and in order to respect the story as much as possible, it was decided to divide the film in two, the first film taking up the first part of the novel. Despite Denis Villeneuve’s desire to shoot both films at the same time, the shooting is also split in two. We can therefore think that the second part could never see the light of day if the first film does not meet with commercial success. Legendary Pictures is also planning to make a sequel to these two films.

In writing, Eric Roth ended up writing a draft of 200 pages. The studio manager, however, says the script is too big and asks him to shorten the story. Not feeling able to do it, Legendary Pictures then hires screenwriter Jon Spaihts to take care of it.

Distribution of Roles

In summer 2018, it was announced that Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson would take the lead roles of Paul Atréides and Dame Jessica, respectively.

The cast will be completed from January 2019. Several actors who have already appeared in films by Denis Villeneuve are engaged, such as David Bautista and David Dastmalchian, who played in Blade Runner 2049 and who will play Glossu Rabban and Piter de Vries, or still actor Josh Brolin (seen in the movie Sicario) who plays the character, Gurney Halleck.

Other names are revealed: Stellan Skarsgård plays Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Charlotte Rampling plays Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Oscar Isaac plays Duke Leto Atreides, Javier Bardem plays Stilgar, and Zendaya plays Chani, Jason Momoa plays Duncan Idaho, and Chang Chen plays Dr. Yueh. Stephen Henderson also joins the cast.

Editor Joe Walker joined the project, continuing his collaboration with Denis Villeneuve. But cinematographer Roger Deakins, Oscar winner for Blade Runner 2049 and working with the director for many years, will not get involved in the Dune movie. Denis Villeneuve is teaming up for the first time with the director of photography Greig Fraser. Hans Zimmer composes the music; this is his second collaboration with Denis Villeneuve after Blade Runner 2049.

The director also surrounds himself with Jacqueline West, a three-time Oscar nominee costume co-designer, and costume co-designer Bob Morgan. The supervision of visual effects is entrusted to Paul Lambert with whom Denis Villeneuve has already worked in his previous film.

Shooting / Filming

The shooting starts March 18, 2019at the Origo Film studios in Budapest. According to the website Hungary Today, the film would benefit from indirect aid from the Hungarian state in the amount of approximately 23.2 million euros, in particular in the form of tax credits. It also takes place in Jordan 8 in the Wadi Rum desert. July 25, 2019, Brian Herbert, Frank’s son announces on his Twitter account the end of the filming of the live shots of the film.

Video game adaptation

In February 2019, the video game development company Funcom announces that it has entered into a partnership with Legendary Pictures for the development of games inspired by the universe of Dune. The contract is valid for a period of six years and should give birth to three games for PC or consoles. One of these video games is directly based on Denis Villeneuve’s film.

Dune Movie Trailer