'Dune' Trailer: Planetary Destruction Is A Family Affair In Denis Villeneuve's Sci-Fi Epic
Denis Villeneuve's Dune looks as epic as a movie can get, and the latest trailer hammers home that Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is going on a journey. Watch it for yourself and get a hint of just how big this movie looks;
Dune Trailer
Those who've read Frank Herbert's Dune — the classic science fiction novel — know that Paul's story is a textbook Chosen One journey. For those less familiar with genre fiction, the Chosen One trope involves a guy (historically it's almost always been a guy) finding out he's special. He then figures out how to use his special powers and fulfills his destiny to become a great hero.
This trailer makes sure we know that Paul's got powers. It also emphasizes that he has a connection to the literal woman of his dreams, Zendaya's character, Chani. We see a glimpse in the trailer of the two joining forces to fight the power looking to destroy them both.
What's exciting about this trailer is that we see Chalamet's Paul get his full Spice on. (Spice is a whole thing in Dune – it allows for interstellar travel and it's a drug and it gives people special abilities.) I'm talking, of course, about that quick image of him at the end of the trailer with glowing blue eyes. Those blue eyes mean that Paul is fully into Spice and the abilities that come with it. Some folks might not understand the gravity of the change, and just appreciate Chalamet's cool-looking eyes, but trust me: this is something to get excited about.
Dune is Epic, But It's Also About Oscar Isaac Being the Best Dad
The trailer also sets up the personal stakes in the story. What we've seen so far from the movie is massive in its scale and scope. All good stories, however, have a personal element — people don't care about a planet if they don't care about who's on it. With this trailer, we get to see more of those personal connections. We see Paul's mother (Rebecca Ferguson) fighting for her son, and a dad (Oscar Isaac) telling Paul that he loves him just for who he is, not because he's the Chosen One and/or Timothée Chalamet.
Speaking of Chalamet, there's no getting around how ridiculously high-profile the Dune cast is. We've got Chalamet, Zendaya, Ferguson, and Isaac. And we've also got Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, David Dastmalchian, Stellan Skarsgård, and a whole bunch more.
If the trailer and the extended sneak peek are any indication, the movie is going to be an unforgettable one. Yes, there will be planet-sized battles. But there will also be two parents telling their son that they love him, which is nice.
Dune comes to theaters and HBO Max on October 22, 2021.