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Published in the mid-'60s, author Frank Herbert’s science-fiction epic Dune became one of the genre’s bibles, and was long-considered impossible to adapt for the screen. Set in the distant future, it told an interstellar tale of noble houses and planetary fiefs, and of how the Artreides family accept stewardship of the desert planet Arrakis, the only source of melange, a spice that can extend life, enhance the mind’s capabilities, and aid space travel. But to protect Arrakis – its resources and its inhabitants, the Fremen – young Paul Atreides must go on a dangerous journey and prove himself as the chosen one long foretold.
In Dune (2021), which gave viewers the first half of the story, Timothée Chalamet wowed as Paul, while visionary director Denis Villeneuve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049) succeeded where David Lynch floundered in the '80s, proving that the novel could be adapted, and how. Villeneuve’s extraordinary world-building plonked us firmly down on Arrakis; you could feel the blast of sand as the spaceships landed, and the rumble of the desert floor as gigantic subterranean sandworms burst into view on the horizon.
Dune: Part Two completes the tale, and promises to somehow up the adventure, the thrills, the spectacle, and the emotion. Paul will face off again Austin Butler’s terrifying nemesis Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, find love with the warrior woman of his visions, Chani (Zendaya), and, yes, face many more sandworms.
Dune 2 is on the cover of the new issue of Total Film magazine, on sale Thursday, February 1. Inside there’s a suitably colossal feature on the making of the film, with director Villeneuve and his galaxy of stars – Chalamet, Zendaya, Butler, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård – talking us through the adventure of a lifetime. Here (and above) you can take an exclusive look at some of the new images in the upcoming issue.
Want to get a closer look at those 400-metre-long sandworms? Total Film also sits down with the special effects maestro who’s devised some of the most eye-saucering beasts in cinema history. Trust us, you’ll want to hold on tight.
Dune: Part Two opens in cinemas on March 1. For much more on the film, treat yourself to the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves and digital newsstands on Thursday, February 1. Check out our covers below:
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