Dune: Jason Momoa talks bonding with Timothee Chalamet: "He kneed me in the balls so hard!"

Jason Momoa in Dune — (Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Jason Momoa may be the perfect person to play Duncan Idaho – the handsome swordsman from Dune who trains the leading character Paul Atreides, portrayed by Timothée Chalamet in the upcoming movie.

Speaking with Total Film for the new issue, featuring Dune on the cover, Momoa revealed how he bonded with Chalamet behind the scenes – and there was a whole lot of teasing, as well as hurt groins. Here's an extract from our Q&A with Momoa.

Total Film: How did you and Timothée bond?

Momoa: It was exactly like in the film – he’s like a little brother. He’s so intelligent. He’s something else to watch. He’s such a beautiful actor and considerate. He cares about his craft way more than I do. It’s just impressive to be around people like that.

Do you tease Timothée in the same way Duncan teases Paul?

That joke [about muscles in the trailer] came from me. There are these outtakes where I went up to Timmy, and I go, "Look at you, dick and ribs." Denis comes up and says, "What is this talk about the ribs and his dick? I don’t understand." I’m like, "Well, it’s funny, because Timmy’s so skinny." He’s like, "OK. Maybe you can do it in another way?" But Timothée [got me back]. When I hug him he kneed me in the balls so hard! You can see it if you watch in slo-mo.

Fans will know that Duncan goes on an interesting journey in subsequent books...

He does, doesn’t he? If the films go well, I’ve got a good future.

Dune is scheduled to open in US cinemas and on HBO Max on October 22. It will open in UK cinemas on October 21. For much more on the film, including interviews with all of the starry cast, pick up a copy of the new issue of Total Film when it hits shelves on Friday 20 August. Check out the new cover below, as well as the cover of the special supplement that comes with the issue.

Total Film's Dune issue and special supplement — (Image credit: Total Film/Warner Bros)

And if you're a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue? You can grab both a physical and digital subscription – and subscribers get exclusive covers and big discounts. Click through the link for more info.

I'm the Managing Editor, Entertainment here at GamesRadar+, overseeing the site's film and TV coverage. In a previous life as a print dinosaur, I was the Deputy Editor of Total Film magazine, and the news editor at SFX magazine. Fun fact: two of my favourite films released on the same day - Blade Runner and The Thing.