The delayed and less-than-desirable rollout of “Dune” took a turn for the better this week with the release of a brand-new trailer.
Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, the science fiction thriller stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, whose family has inherited the responsibility of overseeing the production of “melange,” a valuable spice that can bestow superhuman powers on those who consume it, on the desert planet of Arrakis. Before long, Paul finds himself at the center of an intergalactic power struggle against the rival family House Harkonnen.
In addition to Chalamet, “Dune” also stars cast Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Rampling, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgård.
Reactions to the new trailer, which dropped Thursday, were mostly ecstatic.
“The source material is fantastic, the cast is incredibly talented, and the director’s previous work speaks for itself,” one person wrote. “The finished product looks awesome, and I can’t wait to see it.”
Added another: “Never have I needed theaters to open more than now.”
Fan anticipation for “Dune” has been quietly building for some time. In interviews, director Denis Villeneuve has described the movie as his dream project, even though the story has been infamously challenging to adapt for the screen.
Originally slated for a December 2020 release, “Dune” was postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, Warner Bros. announced the film would be released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max this fall ― a decision Villeneuve blasted in a scathing commentary piece for Variety shortly afterward.
“Filmmaking is a collaboration, reliant on the mutual trust of team work and Warner Bros. has declared they are no longer on the same team,” the French-Canadian director, whose credits include “Blade Runner 2049,” wrote. “Warner Bros. might just have killed the ‘Dune’ franchise.”
Similarly, Chalamet made his allegiances clear when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in December last year. During the show’s closing moments, he appeared in a sweatshirt with the logo of Legendary Entertainment, the production company behind “Dune” that considered taking legal action against Warner Bros. over the HBO Max deal.
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