Dune: Part Two Director Says Sandworms Are Like 'A Very, Very Intense Uber'

Some might be under the impression that "Dune" is a sweeping sci-fi story about the oppressed rising up against their oppressors, about the dangers of allowing religion and myth to dictate our lives, and about subverting the entire concept of the hero's journey. Author Frank Herbert's original novels and their various adaptations over the years are about all of that and more, to be sure. But at its heart, this material is about something much more tangible, too: the fact that everyone just really, really wants to ride on giant sandworms.

Fans are still processing the lengthy "Dune: Part 2" delay (which only became necessary as a result of studios like Warner Bros. Discovery refusing to bargain with both the striking writers and actors on a fair contract, of course), but the highly-anticipated sequel is already shaping up to become the moviegoing event of 2024 — in no small part due to the increased focus on those monstrous, desert-dwelling beasts known to the denizens of Arrakis as Shai Halud. But maybe don't tell that to Denis Villeneuve. A longtime fan of the books, which he's proven by his hopes to wrap up this trilogy with an adaptation of "Dune: Messiah," the director clearly understands the appeal of the story's infamous worms. They are the planet's natural defense mechanism against invaders, they provide tools and weapons for the indigenous population of Fremen (most notably through their teeth, which are fashioned into deadly sharp crysknives), and they're the centerpiece for the Fremen's traditional rite of passage into adulthood.

Then again, according to Villeneuve, in the upcoming October 2023 issue of Empire Magazine, he laughingly describes them as, "Or a very, very intense Uber." Well, depending on your experience with rideshares, he's not wrong! Read on for more details.

In the latest issue of Empire Magazine, Denis Villeneuve and his creative team provided even more insights into arguably one of the most exciting scenes to come in the action-packed sequel. As teased in the marketing to this point, Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides has joined up with Chani (Zendaya) and Stilgar (Javier Bardem), but he must still prove his standing amongst the tough and hardened Fremen. That brings us to the coming-of-age tradition to conquer all traditions, as he's forced to summon a giant sandworm with a "thumper" device, rappel onto it with nothing but a pair of hooks, and ride the beast across the Arrakis desert. No sweat!

But as formidable as that challenge is for an outsider like Paul, it was nothing compared to the process of filming this sequence for the cast and crew. For three whole months, Villeneuve wrangled together a trusted group called "The Worm Unit" to painstakingly bring this scene to life. As cinematographer Greig Fraser put it, they embraced the challenge of making it feel as real and tactile and lifelike as possible:

"Just because there are no real sandworms, doesn't mean we're going to go on to a soundstage. We were outside shooting sandworms in the real sun with real wind and real dust. Just because you don't have one small element, doesn't mean you throw away the entire concept of being honest and real."

With all due respect to Shai-Halud and the Maker, I'm starting to think Villeneuve & Co. somehow managed to make the filming of "Dune: Part 2" even more intense than the act of riding one of those killer sandworms. Did we expect anything less? 

"Dune: Part 2" will roar into theaters March 14, 2024.