As part of an IGN exclusive feature on August 12, six short vignettes have been released, highlighting the main characters of House Atreides in the forthcoming Dune (2021) movie. These teaser videos contain a mix of visuals we’ve seen before (from the two trailers and TV spots), as well as previously unreleased footage—though some of that will be familiar to those who attended the exclusive Dune IMAX event in July.
Enjoy all six new teasers here, with our commentary below.
Paul Atreides
Timothée Chalamet was the first to post this teaser (via Instagram), for his character: Paul Atreides. In the short clip we get a sense of the complex journey that awaits the young heir of House Atreides. The talented 15-year-old—trained by his mother and mentors in the great schools of thought and warfare—experiences vivid dreams of the future, revealing to him to a destiny he doesn’t yet understand. Soon enough, he will have to answer the call to lead the people of his new home world. The clip showcases several of his future visions and a few seconds of new footage from the spice harvester scene, where Paul and Gurney run from an approaching sandworm.
Duke Leto Atreides
Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) is a true leader, who has earned the fanatic loyalty of his people and respect of his peers. Although House Atreides only controls a single planet, they are renowned throughout the Imperium for their great honor and command considerable influence among the other noble Houses. Now Leto faces the toughest test of his rule, as he must lead his family and followers from their ancestral home on Caladan to the desert world of Arrakis, where they will take control of the spice production. He is fully aware that they are walking into a trap… The video features sharp ornithopter piloting by the Duke himself, again from the spice harvester scene.
Lady Jessica
Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) may be not be the Duke’s wife in name, however she is truly his beloved companion and caring mother to their son—she trains Paul in the ways of the secretive Bene Gesserit order, who raised her from birth. Through their breeding program and cultivating skills over millennia, the Sisterhood have achieved abilities that are considered superhuman. This includes determining if someone speaks falsehood and slowing their body’s metabolism to a standstill. This teaser also gives us a glimpse of Jessica’s extraordinary martial prowess.
Duncan Idaho
Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) found his way to the Atreides family as a boy, after escaping from a life of being hunted by their archenemies, House Harkonnen. The loyal retainer is counted among the greatest swordsmen in all of the Imperium and plays a pivotal role in the defense of House Atreides. In addition to protecting the young Ducal heir, who has few acquaintances his own age, Duncan is Paul’s confidant and closest friend.
Gurney Halleck
Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) is the veteran “warmaster” of House Atreides, and also bears facial scars of past captivity under the Harkonnens. He mentors Paul in the lethal art of close hand-to-hand combat, with body shields and blades. In this video Gurney seeks to instill his mentee with the deadliness of the situations that they will encounter on Arrakis. Although stern, he has a heart of gold and his skills with the baliset—a unique musical instrument—are as impressive as his fighting.
Dr. Yueh
Wellington Yueh (Chang Chen) is the physician of House Atreides. The diamond marking on his forehead represents the strict conditioning that all Suk Doctors undergo, preventing them from taking a human life. This makes them trusted medical practitioners within many noble families, and they’re considered fit to serve the Emperor himself. By touch alone, Dr. Yueh is capable of sensing both the physiological and psychological state of Paul.
The six videos are also available on the IGN website, with additional explanations, and this is just the beginning. As part of IGN’s “The Path to Dune” series, we’ll be seeing another round of character teasers, featuring the Fremen, next Thursday, August 19. The week after that, on August 26, House Harkonnen will be in the spotlight. The premiere gaming news website have also teased that, thereafter, they’ll be publishing more exclusive content on a bi-weekly basis, leading up the the movie’s release.
Dune will premiere in the U.S. and Canada on October 22 and in the U.K. and Australia on October 21.
Source: IGN Movie Trailers YouTube channel (August 12, 2021)