The first Dune: Part 2 trailer was unveiled at CinemaCon along with other exciting news for Denis Villeneuve's sequel.
Villeneuve's Dune adapted the first half of Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel of the same name, the first book in the Dune saga. The first movie starred Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, all of whom will return for part two. The first movie also starred Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, and Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. Dune ended with Paul Atreides being accepted as part of the Fremen tribe and beginning his journey to fulfill his dead father’s plans of bringing peace to the planet Arrakis.
Dune: Part 2 will pick up where Dune left off on Paul's journey. During CinemaCon, fans were treated to a first look at the first official trailer for Dune: Part 2, and based on reports, the trailer wasn’t light on significant events from the book's second half. Variety took to Twitter to list a few of the biggest moments from the trailer, including a scene of Paul Atreides riding a sandworm. In the book, riding a sandworm is part of the Fremen coming-of-age traditions; when Paul rides a sandworm for the first time, it secures his role as the Fremen leader. In the grand scheme of things, becoming the leader of the Fremen is the beginning of Paul's path to power.
Variety also listed several other notable moments from the Dune: Part 2 trailer, including Chalamet's Paul and Zendaya's Chani sharing a kiss as Chani says, “You will never lose me, Paul Atreides.” The trailer also features Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, the eldest daughter of the 81st Padishah Emperor Shadadm IV and Anirul, a Bene Gesserit of the Hidden Rank. In the book, Irulan is only present toward the end of the story when she becomes Paul Atreides' wife. However, she acts as a narrator for the story, with each chapter beginning with an epigraph attributed to her scholarly writing. In the books Dune Messiah and Children of Dune, Princess Irulan makes more regular appearances. Her backstory is explored in more detail in the prequel trilogy Prelude to Dune, written by Kevin J. Anderson and Frank Herbert's son, Brian Herbert.
Although Dune: Part 2's theatrical release is still several months away, the trailer seems to have ignited some excitement in Dune fans as they eagerly await the first movie’s sequel. Even with the movie hitting theaters later this year, not much information about Dune: Part 2's plot has been released except that it will adapt the events of the book's second half. It’s difficult to say how much the movie will stick to or stray from the book, but if this first trailer is anything to go by, it sounds like fans of the book will be happy with the adaptation.
Dune: Part 2 hits theaters on November 3, 2023.
Source: Variety/Twitter