In short, Dune is the tale of a family who are betrayed by their masters and forced to work with a planet’s native people to survive. The Atreides' time on Arrakis quickly becomes dangerous, and Jessica and Paul end up sheltering with the Fremen, the planet's native people who live out amongst the dangerous sand dunes. Duke Leto is ordered to do this by the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, who is secretly in cahoots with members of the House Harkonnen, longtime rivals of House Atreides. Ultimately, the Bene Gesserit acolytes take part in a long-running genetic breeding program in order to birth a male, Christ-like figure known as the Kwisatz Haderach (yes, the names are wild, take a moment to go over them a few times).ĭune begins with the entire Atreides family relocating from the ocean planet Caladan in order to manage the harvest of a very important export called melange, known colloquially as spice, on the desert planet Arrakis. Much of the population mistrusts the Bene Gesserit, and calls them "witches" because of their strange abilities. They have their own political motivations and look to acquire more power – hence why Lady Jessica was installed into House Atreides. The Bene Gesserit are a matriarchal religious sect that wield seemingly superhuman powers obtained after years of grueling physical and mental training. The protagonist, Paul Atreides, is the son of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica, a Bene Gesserit acolyte. The Blade Runner 2049 and Arrival director has already proven his ability to direct impressive sci-fi stories, and everything we've seen and heard of Dune thus far looks sufficiently epic.ĭune is set in a fictional, far-distant future (10,191 to be exact) where noble houses lead a feudal society stretching across many planets, which are considered fiefs (an estate of land held on condition of offering services to someone higher). Yet, Villeneuve promises to unlock the secret formula and finally give Dune the big-screen treatment it deserves. Get started on the books with the original Dune novel.
Twin Peaks creator David Lynch's 1984 movie was almost universally maligned, cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky failed to get his adaptation off the ground (leading to a fascinating documentary), and the SyFy Channel version is good, but way too long. No wonder, then, that previous film adaptations have struggled. The Dune novels are notoriously convoluted with sprawling plots, oddly named characters, and some heady themes. However, knowing where to start with the books and movies can lead to quite the headache. There's been a resurgence of interest in the 1965 sprawling sci-fi epic from Frank Herbert, and the massive world that spun from it. The rebels on Arrakis want to finish off the Imperial forces once and for all, but after a terrible battle which costs him almost all his men, Shaddam is finally forced to concede defeat.If you want to cut to the chase on the movie itself, you can check out our Dune review, but if you're relatively new to the sprawling Dune universe - don't fret as this guide not only can help navigate your way through the books but also the whole world of Dune. onto the scene, who senses that the basis of his power is being threatened. Most important of all, they sabotage the planet's spice production: this brings Shaddam IV. During the next few years the Fremen, led by Paul, wage a guerrilla war of attrition against Harkonnen, who suffers heavy losses. While Paul is being instructed in the secrets of desert life he falls in love with young Chani, who bears him a son. Very soon the Fremen are convinced that Paul is their long-prophesied redeemer, and Stilgar prepares him for his great task. Impressed by Paul's clairvoyant abilities, tribal prince Stilgar takes in the fugitives. Leto's mistress Lady Jessica, who is a member of the clairvoyant order of Bene Gesserit, manages to escape into the desert with her son Paul, and after a long and dangerous march they finally encounter the Fremen, the long suppressed desert tribe of Arrakis. A short while later Harkonnen does indeed succeed in ambushing and massacring Leto and his men. The reason is that Arrakis is the source of the valuable spice, a substance produced by enormous and dangerous sandworms, which bestows special mental qualities on anyone who consumes it. In the 11th millennium, Shaddam IV, ruler of the Galactic Empire, rids himself of his competitor Duke Leto Atreides by giving him control of the desert planet Dune also called Arrakis fully aware that its present owner, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, will not give it up without a fight.