Earlier this week Denis Villeneuve's Dune received an official sequel announcement
with Dune Part 2 and the film will be arriving on October 20th 2023. But what can we expect to
see from the second part of the new adaptation for Frank Herbert's seminal science fiction novel?
In this video, I'm going to be discussing what I personally want to see in Dune
Part 2 including the things we most likely will get when that sequel finally lands.
This video will contain spoilers from Dune Part 1 and potential characters and events from the
later stages of the novel, so if you don't want anything spoiled, then I would recommend
watching this video at another time. If you want to keep up to date on any of my content
surrounding Dune Part 1, Part 2 and beyond, then don't forget to support this video by
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which is all linked in the description below. But without further ado, let's dive into
the things that I can't wait to see in Dune Part 2.
So for all the scope and grandeur of Denis Villeneuve's first Dune film, it only adapts
the first half of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. The subtitle Part One seen on the opening title card
gave us the possibility of a Part Two, and on Tuesday, Legendary confirmed that a sequel is
indeed coming. The first movie ended as Paul and Lady Jessica were accepted into the Fremen and on
their way to Stilgar's home. With House Atreides pretty much decimated, it's going to be them
against the Empire in the sequel, where we're sure to see more of Paul's visions of his future
leading a revolt against the Empire come to life. Assuming Villeneuve closely follows
the book as he did in the first movie, expect to see a time jump, some new children enter
the world and major reveals. I am honestly so excited to see what the director will do with
all of this material available to him and there are many things that the auteur filmmaker can do
to satisfy fans and bring this first novel to an epic conclusion on the big screen. But what are
some of the main things that I want him to adapt in Part 2.
The first of many things that I can't wait to see more of is the fremen. Despite being heavily
featured in the film's marketing, Zendaya was only on the set of Dune for a week,
and her character, Chani, has very obviously limited screen time. Though the Fremen are one
of the most important and iconic elements of Dune, they only really come into the foreground in the
second half of the story. Villeneuve's film ends with Paul Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica,
becoming part of the Fremen community following the destruction of House
Atreides. The second film will most likely show us what it's like to live in the Fremen
communities called sietches and how Paul goes about cultivating the desert power
that was so desperately sought by his father, Duke Leto Atreides.
We get a little tease of this at the end of the film when Paul and Chani spot another
Fremen riding a sandworm across the desert and Paul learning to ride a worm himself
is one of the greatest moments in the novel. One of the main thrills of Dune: Part Two
will be seeing Villeneuve, Chalamet, and their collaborators bring this to life,
in a sequence that will surely be visually stunning and metaphorically pleasing in reflection
to the events of Part One. But Paul won't be the only one learning new things among the Fremen,
and that brings us on to the next intriguing element.
In particular, the further exploration and details surrounding Lady Jessica, her daughter
Alia Atreides and the influence of the Bene Gesserit will most likely be focussed on to a
great degree in the second part. To begin, Paul has already seen some of what awaits his
mother in his spice visions. These inform him that Lady Jessica is pregnant again,
a secret she thought was closely guarded. Like Chamalet's character alludes to in the first film,
some of his character's visions are true and Jessica's pregnancy
does indeed come to fruition in the second half of Dune. But the birth of Paul's sister Alia,
seen briefly as a baby in one of those aforementioned visions,
is affected by something else that happens to Jessica among the Fremen. Jessica was trained
in the ways of the Bene Gesserit by Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, but the Fremen have
their own version of this tradition. Upon the death of their Reverend Mother, Jessica is chosen
to ascend to the position, and thanks to the spice melange found so abundantly in the Fremen desert,
she finds herself empowered with the memories of every Reverend Mother who came before her.
Those who enjoyed Rebecca Ferguson's performance in Part one should be excited for her opportunity
to play even more interesting beats with the character in the second movie. The actress has
already been preparing, saying in an interview that she studied the Reverand Mother's walk,
her speech because she knows what's coming later on and that it would be nice to pay homage.
So this clearly points to that famous water of life sequence that many have been awaiting and I'm
personally expecting a scene that is hallucinogenic and transcendent in the way it
is brought to film. Think of the stargate scene in 2001, but instead of having that towards the end
of the movie, this one would likely be around the halfway point because of everything that happens
afterwards. We'll have to see but after Part 1 and everything we got surrounding
Lady Jessica and the Bene Gesserit, excited is definitely an understatement.
Moving on to the next character I want to see a good deal of, I think I speak for many of
us when I say that the introduction and use of Feyd Rautha is going to be a big one when
thinking about how the novel ends in comparison with the knife fight in this first movie.
Stellan Skarsgård and Dave Bautista of course star as Dune's terrifying black-clad
villains, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and his nephew Glossu Rabban. But Feyd
Rautha is the one Harkonnen who hasn't yet appeared on screen,
known as the Baron's other nephew. Like Paul Atreides, Feyd-Rautha is a talented
and charismatic young heir of a great house. The Baron sees him as the future of House Harkonnen
and in fact, the reason he tells Rabban to squeeze the population of Arrakis
after retaking it from House Atreides is that he wants popular opinion to turn against Rabban,
so that Feyd-Rautha can be brought in as a replacement and look like a charming saviour
in comparison. In other words, Feyd-Rautha is Paul's dark mirror image and will hopefully
make quite the entrance in Villeneuve's second part. So who then, should be cast in the role
opposite Timothee Chalamet? Well, shortly after the news that Dune: Part Two was happening,
a mysterious emoji tweet from Dunkirk and Eternals star Barry Keoghan was widely received
as a tease that he might be playing Feyd-Rautha. And this actor has been rumoured to play Feyd
for a while now if I remember rightly. But while the tweet is probably just
telling people not to spoil the Eternals or something like that, the more we think about
the possibility of a Keoghan casting, the more sense it makes. Keoghan is known for playing
devilish and charming characters with a sinister undertone. David Lynch's 1984 Dune film famously
cast Sting as Feyd-Rautha too. But there are of course plenty of actors that could feel like a
natural successor and I think it will be a great opportunity to send someone up against Chalamet
in a fight that gets people even more interested. Thinking of that,
it wouldn't surprise me if the director cast another rock star or someone like that
who has acting experience, but of course, as long as it stays within the frameworks of a good
performance and that person has proven that they can play the role. It will be fascinating to see
who plays Feyd alongside the performance they end up bringing, but I am intrigued to hear
who you think would play that character well, so let me who you think would be a great fit.
On the flip side of things, a character who was in part one but didn't get much screentime is
someone who I do think will get more time to shine, which I'm basing on the second half
of Herbert's novel. This regards the Mentats of Dune and more specifically Stephen McKinley
Henderson's Thufir Hawat, the loyal House Atreides' Mentat. Mentats like Piter and Thufir
Hawat were only seen briefly in the first film and they are the humans specially trained
in advanced computational skills as a replacement for the artificial intelligence
that was destroyed in the conflict known as the Butlerian Jihad. Due to the sheer amount of
characters and plot points that had to be packed into Dune Part One, the film has to refine its
focus and didn't get to spend a ton of time with Hawat, but he's a major part of the
book. Reputed as one of the most powerful and deadly Mentats in the galaxy, Hawat survives the
Harkonnen onslaught but ends up very confused by the whole thing. After all,
Mentats live according to logic, and logic tells him that a Suk doctor like Dr Yueh, the man who
betrayed the Atreides, could never betray his masters. As a result,
in Herbert's novel, Hawat suspects that Lady Jessica must be the real traitor
who caused the Atreides downfall since he never trusted the Bene Gesserit in the first place.
This leads him into strange places and without revealing exactly where he ends up,
Hawat's journey will give a great actor like Henderson a lot more to do in the next Dune
instalment. So for those worried about the character, I wouldn't come the second part,
as this will most likely be his place to shine.
And two other characters who will be introduced for the first time, but ones who once introduced
will give answers to elements looming in the first part, are none other than
Princess Irulan and Emperor Shaddam IV. The reason House Atreides takes over stewardship
of the planet Arrakis from House Harkonnen at the beginning of Dune Part one is because they
are ordered to by Shaddam IV of House Corrino, the Padishah Emperor, who rules over the galaxy
and controls the elite soldiers known as the Sardaukar. Neither Shaddam nor his daughter,
Princess Irulan, appear in the first film, which makes sense, and though they are name-checked
frequently throughout Herbert's novel, they don't actually appear until the final act.
And I think it will be crucial to see the scenes with Count Fenring and Lady Fenring,
with the former of course being a character that was almost a Kwisatz Haderach and his wife
also being a member of the Bene Gesserit. I think they will be smaller side characters
but it will definitely be important to see them especially in some great and important
scenes of dialogue with the Emperor. And like Feyd-Rautha, casting the emperor and these
other characters presents quite an opportunity for dream casting too. Charles Dance comes to
mind if the Dune films want to fully embrace the influence Herbert had on Game of Thrones,
with House Corrino even using a golden lion as its logo, much like House Lannister.
But there are definitely many who could bring to life this iconic role. And as for Irulan,
she's basically the opposite of Chani in the same way Feyd-Rautha is the anti-Paul
Atreides. I would love to see someone like Anya Taylor-Joy play this role
as she is definitely someone who can play a role that involves a character being more
than who they appear to be. But this is all just fan casting at this point and the most important
thing is that we get these characters, ones who are crucial to the back part of the novel.
And to be honest, I think that based on all the teases and story development in part one,
that we will be getting just that. Dune Part one was a story about the tragic fall of House
Atreides and self-discovery of Paul Muadib. And Part Two will be the story of that
figure aligning himself as a prophet for the Fremen in order to act revenge against the
Harkonnens and the others who brought his family to their knees.
And speaking of revenge, there will be multiple scenes taking place in Dune Part Two,
which depict some of the action and battles teased in the first film. After Paul's
vision of him and the Fedaykin fighting the Sardaukar in the desert with golden armour,
I can't help but want the extended battle, being one of the many action scenes on display
that will highlight the ruthlessness of the fremen's guerrilla fighters. The second part needs
to find the perfect blend of capturing the scale and highlighting the important character moments
and introductions, to bring a satisfying conclusion to the first book,
delivering on everything that was set up. Paul’s ascension to the emperorship and the Fremen’s
regaining of control complete the reversal of status that occurs during the course of the novel.
This will be crucial to emphasize, giving the saga its depth in terms of rewatchability and
it will set in stone how the audience looks at Paul going forward, and everything that
Dune Messiah is going to deal with. I'm hoping we'll also get most of the complexity surrounding
Jessica, Stilgar and the fremen in the third act, and how this all comes to a head with the
final battle. I expect Villeneuve will bring powerful sequences of the fremen
charging towards the Emperor, Baron Harkonnen and the five legions of Sarduakar, in a battle
unprecedented in scale and climatic events. I think that all the elements I have brought up
will be necessary to capture that effect and if they are brought to life well, then I think
we are looking at a part two with the potential to bring all the spectacle, political intrigue
and conclusive satisfaction to the first book in the Dune universe.
But that was my video discussing what I would love to see in Dune Part 2. Dune:
Part Two may have only gotten the studio green light in the aftermath of Dune’s opening weekend,
but that doesn’t mean that Denis Villeneuve hasn’t been planning for the news for a very long time.
Shortly after the film’s world premiere at the Venice Film Festival, the filmmaker confirmed
that the structure and the design of the sequel were planned alongside the development of the 2021
blockbuster. It’s because of this that the next chapter in the series will be able to
move very quickly through development. Even to a point where he has already written the script.
Alongside the excitement of Hans Zimmer returning, cinematographer
Greig Fraser, an exclusive theatrical run and Denis Villeneuve's spoken plans beyond Part 2,
there is more than enough to be excited about going forward. Should all things
go well with finishing his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s first Dune novel, Villeneuve wants
to then turn the series into a trilogy with the first-ever big-screen version of Dune Messiah,
which would round out the story of Paul Atreides. We'll have to see but alongside the development
of new characters, returning ones and the big screen spectacle in store, Dune Part
Two on its own is going to be a hell of a treat for us in 2023. But let me know
down below in the comments section what you are personally excited for surrounding Dune Part 2
alongside how you would like to see certain elements adapted from the second half of
Herbert's novel. I will also be doing a more in-depth video in a few weeks time discussing why
I think Dune Part 2 will be a gamechanger for modern science fiction
based on its material and potential, so keep a lookout for whenever I post.
For much more videos and news on Denis Villeneuve's Dune universe, then subscribe
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But anyway, I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.