With the discharge of Dune: Half Two, Denis Villeneuve has formally (and efficiently!) translated the whole thing of Frank Herbert’s Dune to the display screen.

Identical to with 2021’s Dune, Dune: Half Two makes some main adjustments from its supply materials. A few of these carry over from the primary movie. For instance, since we did not see any of the storyline the place Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) pretends to assume Woman Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is a traitor in Dune, we do not get any of the in-book fallout from that plot in Dune: Half Two. It is a stable strategy to streamline a narrative with an already-massive scale, a tactic Villeneuve and his co-writer Jon Spaihts proceed to make use of all through Dune: Half Two.

Nonetheless, most of the different adjustments Villeneuve and Spaihts make in Dune: Half Two assist higher floor the themes on the core of Herbert’s work — similar to Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) being removed from a hero — versus taking any which means away. From minimize characters to an expanded position for Chani (Zendaya), listed below are the most important methods Dune: Half Two differs from Herbert’s novel.

Characters like Depend Fenring get the chop.

Léa Seydoux in “Dune: Half Two.”
Credit score: Niko Tavernise

Villeneuve left some main characters out of Dune, together with Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, and Princess Irulan. Seems he was simply saving them for Dune: Half Two, the place they’re performed by Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, and Florence Pugh.

Some characters nonetheless did not make the minimize for Half Two, although. Depend Hasimir Fenring, a detailed buddy to the Emperor, is totally lacking, though his Bene Gesserit spouse Margot (Léa Seydoux) pops up on the Harkonnen homeworld of Giedi Prime. We additionally lose out on Fremen characters like Harah, who turns into Paul’s spouse after he kills her husband Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun). Dune: Half Two drops a personality from its predecessor as effectively. Within the novel, Mentat Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson) initially serves the Harkonnens following their assault on the Atreides. Right here, he is fully lacking, possible useless by Harkonnen arms. Once more, these are all streamlining decisions — ones that clear house for the movie to dig deeper into Paul’s journey to changing into the messianic determine generally known as Muad’Dib.

How do you remedy an issue like Alia?

Rebecca Ferguson in “Dune: Half Two.”
Credit score: Niko Tavernise

The strangest a part of Dune is not the psychotropic house medication, or the large sandworms. As a substitute, it is Jessica and Leto’s daughter Alia Atreides. After being uncovered to the Water of Life within the womb, Alia is born totally aware and with all of the capabilities of an grownup Bene Gesserit like Jessica, making for one spooky sensible kiddo.

Naturally, it is an enormous problem to attempt to convey a toddler who can also be a superbeing to a live-action movie. Dune: Half Two cheats a bit by by no means really having Alia be born. The movie opts to maintain Alia as a rising fetus who communicates telepathically with Jessica. The one different crumbs of Alia we get come after Paul drinks the Water of Life. He sees Alia all grown up — and performed by Anya Taylor-Pleasure!

On the one hand, I perceive why Dune: Half Two would not need to introduce us to Alia as a baby. That is a complete new character to throw at us halfway by an already-stuffed film, and given her unnerving nature, there is a excessive bar to clear to be able to get it proper. However as somebody who loves the strangeness of Alia — together with Alicia Witt’s efficiency in David Lynch’s Dune — I am bummed Dune: Half Two selected to play it safer on this explicit storyline. What do you imply we do not get to see a 2-year-old homicide Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård)? I suppose watching Paul stab him should make do.

Alia not being born additionally accelerates Dune: Half Two‘s timeline. Given Jessica’s being pregnant, the occasions of the movie need to happen over lower than 9 months. That implies that Paul builds a large following over a span of months as an alternative of the years it takes within the ebook. (He and Chani have a son throughout a two-year time leap as effectively.) He additionally spends these years combating by visions of the approaching jihad earlier than lastly accepting that he’s unable to cease it. A extra drawn-out timeline might not have translated to movie, however it does add to the tragedy that Paul is combating the inevitable for a lot, for much longer earlier than giving in.

Dune: Half Two ups the spiritual battle on Arrakis.

Zendaya and Rebecca Ferguson in “Dune: Half Two.”
Credit score: Courtesy Warner Bros. Photos

Whereas a lot of the variation adjustments in Dune concerned paring down Herbert’s work, Villeneuve and Spaihts really make some additions of their very own in Dune: Half Two. They introduce the fully new idea of an ideological divide between the Fremen within the North and South of Arrakis. The fundamentalists within the South are fervent believers within the prophecy of the Lisan al-Gaib, and they’re faster to comply with Paul. Amongst them is Stilgar (Javier Bardem), who now lives within the North however who carries his deep religion with him. Nonetheless, most of the Northerners he leads, together with Chani, are extra skeptical of the legend. They like to consider that the Fremen will free themselves from the tyranny of off-world colonizers.

With this divide, Villeneuve and Spaihts neatly and explicitly lay out Herbert’s criticism of the meteoric rise of charismatic leaders. A lot of this criticism comes from Chani herself, who will get much more to do in Dune: Half Two than in Dune. She is unafraid to push again towards Paul, not like within the ebook, the place she and the Fremen are quick followers. Right here, she reminds her those who the Lisan al-Gaib prophecy, cultivated by the Bene Gesserit over centuries, is simply one other strategy to enslave the Fremen. As she says to Paul, “You inform individuals a messiah will come to regulate them.”

Chani’s comprehensible distrust of the Lisan al-Gaib prophecy locations her in direct battle with Jessica as effectively, although the 2 share a extra supportive relationship within the ebook. That battle comes from Jessica actively fanning the flames of Paul’s legend all through Dune: Half Two. The novel’s model of Jessica is apprehensive of the rising fervor surrounding her son, though she’ll play into the prophecy if it means she and Paul will survive. The movie’s model of Jessica additionally leans into the prophecy for defense, however after her Reverend Mom transformation, she exploits it for energy and affect for Paul, hoping it’ll assist him step into the position of Kwisatz Haderach. Up till Paul totally claims the title of Lisan al-Gaib, Jessica is Dune: Half Two‘s clearest manifestation of how individuals will manipulate religion to be able to get what they need.

Chani rides (a worm) off into the sundown.

Zendaya in “Dune: Half Two.”
Credit score: Niko Tavernise

In altering Chani’s position from the novel and making her extra crucial of Paul, Villeneuve and Spaihts step away from Herbert’s model of Chani, who’s loyal to a fault. That change necessitates a very totally different ending for Zendaya’s Chani. In any case her combating for her individuals towards oppressors, there is no manner this tackle the character can be content material with being Paul’s concubine as he marries Princess Irulan and takes over the Imperium. (In different phrases, for followers of the ebook, historical past will not be calling her a spouse.)

As a substitute, Dune: Half Two ends with Chani leaving Paul as he wages struggle on the Nice Homes. And who can blame her? The person she loves took full management over her individuals. Worst of all, Chani performed an element in serving to him get there. Her secret Fremen identify Sihaya interprets to “desert spring,” a reputation she hates due to “some silly prophecy.” That prophecy seems to be that of the Lisan al-Gaib, which claims that desert spring tears will revive the legendary prophet. When Paul practically dies after consuming the Water of Life, Jessica makes use of the Voice to make Chani give Paul her tears, forcing her into the prophecy that has all the time been hanging over her head. Villeneuve and Spaihts have tweaked this part from the unique ebook. There, Chani (additionally named Sihaya) does revive Paul, however it’s fully voluntary, would not require her tears, and is not linked to any type of prophecy. Her pressured half within the prophecy in Dune: Half Two makes for a crushing lack of company and crops the seeds for her eventual departure.

Mentioned departure brings us into uncharted Dune territory. Villeneuve has spoken about eager to adapt Dune Messiah, the following ebook within the Dune collection, and an enormous factor of that story is Chani’s relationship with Paul. Her last moments in Dune: Half Two increase some massive questions for this adaptation going ahead. Will she lead a Fremen resistance towards Paul? Or will she and Paul one way or the other discover their manner again to one another? Paul claims that he has seen Chani coming to grasp his choices sooner or later, however does that imply she’ll rejoin him? And in that case, what is going to Villeneuve do to reconcile that selection with the model of Chani we see in Dune: Half Two? Mainly, Chani’s departure has opened up a complete new can of sandworms heading into a possible Dune Messiah. However given how way more difficult Chani turns into on this movie, and the way a lot her defiance provides to Dune: Half Two‘s themes and doomed romance, I am optimistically intrigued to see what comes subsequent for her.

“Ship them to paradise.”

Timothée Chalamet in “Dune: Half Two.”
Credit score: Niko Tavernise

Talking of Dune: Half Two‘s final moments, let’s dive into Paul’s last selection of the movie. After defeating Feyd-Rautha in a duel, Paul takes the throne of the Imperium. Nonetheless, the Nice Homes in orbit above Arrakis refuse to legitimize his ascendancy. Paul’s directions to the Fremen upon listening to this? “Ship them to paradise.” And so the holy struggle he by no means wished begins in earnest, by his decree.

The Nice Homes’ defiance of Paul and his subsequent declaration of struggle are new. Within the novel, the jihad begins off-page, within the time leap between Dune and Dune Messiah. However watching the struggle kick off in Dune: Half Two proves to be a chilling ending, and a tragedy in addition. In embracing the Fremen as instruments of struggle, Paul has remodeled right into a merciless chief who could also be extra Harkonnen than Atreides — and is actually not a hero.

That transformation is in line with Herbert’s Dune, which was all the time a cautionary story, by no means a hero’s story. The sentiment of warning is current in his unique novel, however he actually hammers it dwelling in Dune Messiah, placing any misconceptions about Paul as a hero to relaxation. With Dune: Half Two, Villeneuve is already laying the groundwork for Dune Messiah and addressing a lot of its core themes earlier on. The result’s bleak, bloody, and an ideal encapsulation of Herbert’s messaging. (However sure, I nonetheless miss Alia.)

Dune: Half Two is now in theaters.