Have you ever seen Dune: Half Two a number of occasions? Do you spend your free moments obsessing over each little element from Denis Villeneuve’s newest sci-fi epic? Then The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two, a behind-the-scenes take a look at the movie from Perception Editions, can be proper up your alley.

Written by Dune producer Tanya Lapointe and Stefanie Broos, The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two dives headfirst into the making of the movie. Beautiful spreads of idea artwork and images abound, in addition to interviewers with the craftspeople who introduced the planets of Arrakis, Giedi Prime, and extra to life. Not solely will you get to bask within the visible splendor of Dune: Half Two, however you will be taught much more concerning the film as nicely. I’ve laid out 5 of my favourite tidbits from The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two beneath, however there are so, so many extra the place these got here from.

1. Dune: Half Two contains a real-life eclipse.

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

Dune: Half Two‘s opening combat scene between the Fremen and Harkonnen troopers takes place throughout a photo voltaic eclipse, making for some immediately memorable orange-tinted visuals courtesy of cinematographer Greig Fraser. In an thrilling coincidence, the forged and crew of Dune: Half Two witnessed an precise partial photo voltaic eclipse on October 25, 2022. The digicam crew was capable of seize footage of the eclipse, which wound up within the closing minimize of the movie. To remain true to the lore that Arrakis has two moons, visible results supervisor Paul Lambert and his group added a second moon to the eclipse footage.

2. Inspiration for Harkonnen structure got here from distinctive locations — together with septic tanks.

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

In my assessment of Dune: Half Two, I praised the Harkonnens’ insectoid structure as one of many visible highlights of the movie. The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two confirms the insect inspirations with regards to all issues Harkonnen, nevertheless it additionally singles out certainly one of manufacturing designer Patrice Vermette’s most stunning factors of reference: septic tanks. “Black, shiny, and new,” Vermette tells Villeneuve.

The septic tank is only one of many desirable references for the design groups mentioned within the e book. Others embrace the Sardaukar’s Excalibur-inspired swords and the Harkonnens’ inkblot-esque “damaging fireworks.”

3. The child sandworm was a sensible impact.

The sandworms descend on the Sardaukar in “Dune: Half Two.”
Credit score: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Photos

The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two incorporates no scarcity of sandworm goodness, together with a pages-long dialogue of how the movie introduced Paul’s first worm journey to life. Additionally of observe is the part on the newborn worm that lives within the Southern Fremen’s Maker’s Temple. Whereas a CG worm was a risk, Dune: Half Two ended up utilizing sensible results, together with a worm puppet.

In accordance with The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two, the shot of the newborn worm shifting by way of the sand was the largest problem for the movie’s particular results group. They constructed the worm out of eight balls linked by a series, then ran it underneath the sand on two units of tracks — one for its round actions, one for its straight path in the direction of the Maker Keeper (Alison Halstead).

4. Feyd-Rautha’s gladiator combat was partly impressed by bullfighting.

Austin Butler in “Dune: Half Two.”
Credit score: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Photos

My favourite aspect characters in Dune: Half Two are the black-clothed Harkonnen servants with distinct curved headdresses who help Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) within the preventing enviornment on Giedi Prime. They’ve their roots in Frank Herbert’s Dune as Feyd’s barb-men, however Lapointe and Broos write that Villeneuve particularly wished picador silhouettes for these characters, “similar to in bullfighting.”

The bullfighting imagery enhances the showmanship and cruelty of the Harkonnens’ battle video games, with the remaining Home Atreides fighter Lanville (Roger Yuan) taking over the position of a doomed bull. It additionally ties again to Home Atreides’ deeper connection to bullfighting. As mentioned within the first Dune, Paul’s (Timothée Chalamet) grandfather fought bulls for sport, even dying in a bullfight. Later, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) walks right into a treacherous “enviornment” of his personal on Arrakis, and Paul will tackle a harmful, unpredictable enemy in his duel with Feyd. It appears the Atreides can by no means totally escape bullfighting, even when it is simply within the metaphorical sense.

5. Which deleted scenes did not make it into Dune: Half Two?

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

Villeneuve has mentioned he will not launch any deleted scenes from Dune: Half Two, which embrace sequences that includes Stephen McKinley Henderson’s Thufir Hawat in addition to Tim Blake Nelson in an undisclosed position (which some speculate was Depend Fenring). The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two additionally hints at different moments that had been minimize from the ultimate movie.

One such second got here after the funereal ceremony for Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun), throughout which the Fremen take the water from his physique. In an early model of the scene, Lapointe and Broos write, Paul receives water rings representing Jamis’ water — a key a part of Fremen tradition within the novel. The Artwork and Soul of Dune: Half Two additionally showcases paintings of the water rings, together with different props used within the ceremony.

Dune: Half Two is now in theaters.