It’s here! Continuing an incredible week in celebration of the upcoming Dune movie—including fourteen stunning character posters and an exclusive first look on IMAX screens—Warner Bros. Pictures has released the second trailer, for director Denis Villenueve’s film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s best-selling science fiction novel.
While the first trailer (from last September) captivated audiences with the epic scale of the movie’s events and settings, newer fans may have been left wondering what Dune is actually about. This new footage paints a more cohesive picture of the story, featuring the full opening narration by Zendaya’s character—the young Fremen warrior, Chani. In this movie we will bear witness to ostentatious lives of nobles and bloody feuds between their great Houses; however, more importantly, we’ll also experience the tales of ordinary people caught in between.
The trailer opens with a shot of three Ornithopters flying above the open desert of Arrakis. The elegant designs that we’re seeing onscreen, will likely become the definitive image of these ubiquitous bird-like flying vehicles. Like the movie’s sets, earlier interviews have spoken of the attention to detail as Patrice Vermette (production designer) and Villenueve sought to create a sense of realism in the design of these and other ships.
Then in that opening line the story begins… Chani’s words overturn off-worlders’ common perception of the desert planet. Yes, the world of Arrakis—also known as Dune—is a harsh and inhospitable place, yet even here there is beauty to be found. Both on its surface, where gargantuan sandworms roam, and within its peoples. Countless generations of Fremen have lived in harmony with this unique environment.
My planet Arrakis is so beautiful when the sun is low. Rolling over the sands, you can see spice in the air.
Chani (Zendaya)
That youthful joy is fleeting however, as the natives live under constant, murderous oppression of House Harkonnen. The “outsiders” have ruled the the planet for decades, seeking only to mine the precious Spice Melange—the most precious substance in the universe, only found on Dune—for their own selfish ambitions. The resulting devastation they bring to this world, and its inhabitants, is of no consequence. The trailer doesn’t shy away from depicting their unending acts of cruelty.
This is my Dune. Kill them all.
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård)
Finally the trailer introduces us to the noble House Atreides, known throughout the Imperium for their code of honor. With their Duke’s rising popularity among the other Houses, the Padishah Emperor has granted them the opportunity to replace their long-time rivals as the new rulers of Arrakis. In reality, refusing this “request” would bring dire ramifications.
The Emperor asks us to bring peace to Arrakis. House Atreides accepts!
Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac)
Thus the conflict for Dune begins… In the momentous events that will follow, Paul, the young heir of House Atreides, is destined to play a pivotal role in deciding the planet’s future. From the perspective of the Fremen, this boy is also an outsider. Does he bring peace or ruin?
The official synopsis reads as follows:
A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
The movie has received a PG-13 rating “for sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images and suggestive material.”
Dune is now heading towards its international premiere at the 78th Venice Film Festival, on September 3. Shortly thereafter the movie will begin it’s international theatrical run—releasing as early as mid-September in some European countries—before arriving the United State’s October 22 day-and-date release in theaters and on HBO Max. 3D and IMAX screenings of the film will be available in select theaters.
Stay tuned for our in-depth Dune trailer breakdown in an upcoming episode of Dune Talk, the official podcast of Dune News Net, and our ongoing coverage of the movie.
