Cool Stuff: 'Dune' Action Figures Are Coming From McFarlane Toys In November

The symbiotic relationship between merchandise and movies can be a frustrating one. Most times, action figures and other assorted collectibles arrive on shelves roughly a month or so before the movie that inspired them actually hits theaters. For established franchises, this isn't all that big of a deal, because fans will always be hungry for the latest Star Wars, Marvel, and DC Comics action figures. But for other movies, such as the latest big screen adaptation of Dune, it's not so easy.

Dune has a bit of an uphill battle to convince fans to see it in theaters, especially in the age of coronvirus. And in the case of the upcoming McFarlane Toys action figures for Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's book, fans have to decide whether they want to take a chance on buying action figures for a movie that they might not fall in love with. But by the time they make up their mind, getting their hands on these Dune action figures may not be so easy. Either way, check them out below.

The first wave of Dune action figures will arrive this November, one month before the movie is meant to arrive in theaters on December 18. It includes a wave of four action figures that take a cue from Hasbro's Build-a-Figure model by including pieces of a fifth action figure that can only be put together by purchasing all four of the other action figures, pictured with all their accessories below.

Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) comes with a crysknife and twin blades, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) has a crysknife and fremkit, Stilgar (Javier Bardem) also has a crysknife and fremkit, and Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) comes with two swords. All four of the 7-inch action figures also come with a base to make it easier to display the figure, and they're all wearing the standard Fremen Stillsuit that enables the human body to survive in sun scorched open deserts of Arrakis.

Honestly, the variation between the action figures is kind of disappointing. Obviously that's true to the aesthetic of the movie, but it would be nice if there was more variation in the accessories included. Again, that might be the most accurate representation of the movie, but it makes for some pretty bland collectibles. But if fans end up loving the movie, then surely they'll want these characters on their shelves. Each of them costs $24.99, and you can pre-order them at Amazon by clicking their names above.

If you get all four of the Dune action figures, here's the figure of Dave Bautista's character Beast Rabban you can build:

Beast Rabban gets an inkvine whip and sword for his accessories. But the only downside of him being a build-a-figure is that he doesn't have a stand for display. And it doesn't appear any of the other four action figures come with an extra stand. Action figure stands aren't hard to find, but that's still a bit frustrating.

In addition to the 7-inch action figure line, McFarlane Toys will also be releasing a 12-inch deluxe figure of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, the character played by Stellan Skarsgard. Baron is sporting his double armor suit, and unlike the regular 7-inch figures, he gets a much different base that not only has a unique design, but it includes a flight stand. But beyond that, there are no other accessories.

The Baron Vladimir Harkonnen action figure costs $39.99 and is available for pre-order over at Amazon.

If Dune does well at the box office and these action figures sell well, presumably there will be another wave with more characters from the ensemble cast. But that could take a little while, so stay tuned.