Dune 2, 10 curiosities

Dunes 2 invades Italian cinemas. Three years after the first chapter, winner of six Oscars, the acclaimed director Denis Villeneuve is ready forepic conclusion of the saga, inspired to the gigantic sci-fi cycle by Frank Herbert which laid the foundation for Star Wars, Avatars and also game of Thrones. The sci-fi blockbuster takes us back to the majestic sands of planet Arrakis for the last, spectacular, adventure on the music breathtaking by Hans Zimmer and with a stellar cast led by Timothée Chalamet reprising his role as Paul Atreides. Dune – Part Two picks up right where the first film ended, following the spiritual and martial journey of Duke Atreides that joins and Chanithe Zendaya's Fremen warrior, to take revenge on those who destroyed his family. First among all, Austin Butler in the villan's shaved skull Feyd-Rautha, nephew and heir of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgàrd). In David Lynch's 1984 cult, the nemesis had the face of Sting.

Also among the new entries Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan and Anya Taylor-Joy in a top secret cameo. The Queen of Chess she could play Alia Atreides, daughter of Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and sister of Paul/Chalamet. Licensed Warner Bros, Dunes 2 was accompanied by a space press tour. Just think of Zendaya's cyborg look that evokes the iconic feminist robot of Metropolisa cornerstone of science fiction cinema directed by Fritz Lang. Here are other fundamental things to know about Denis Villeneuve's sequel.

1. Dunes 2 it's even longer than the first film

The official runtime is 2 hours and 45 minutes, 11 minutes longer than Dune: Part One.

2. One of the best science fiction films ever

Early, enthusiastic reviews generated a remarkable Rotten Tomatoes score of 97%, surpassing the record of 83% Dunes of 2021. They had obtained the same result Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), Metropolis (1927) e Portrait of the young woman on fire (2019).

3. The visual effects are the most spectacular

Much of the huge production budget of $190 million, which isn't much higher than the previous one's $165 million Dunes, was intended to create the breathtaking visual effects. An example? The enormous sandworms that will terrorize the audience in the theater.

4. Dunes 2 it was filmed (also) in Italy

The film is shot between Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. Filming has officially begun in our country, precisely, at the Brion Tomb, a monumental funeral complex in San Vito, a hamlet of Altivole, in the province of Treviso.

5. A new language

In the sequel the Fremen language will be spoken. The director worked with linguist David J. Peterson (who also developed the Dothraki language in game of Thrones) to create a working version of Chakobsa, the Fremen dialect described by Herbert in his books.

6. The battle scenes are as epic as they come The Lord of the Rings

The size and scope of the battle scenes of Dunes 2 they are comparable, according to critics, to those seen only in the past The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers by Peter Jackson, made more than 20 years ago.

7. Villain Austin Butler

For the role of Duke Paul Atreides' nemesis, Feyd-Rautha, in addition to Austin Butler, Tye Sheridan and Harry Styles were also in the running. But the star of Elvis he got the better of them.

8. Religious influences in Dunes

Both the film and the novel on which it is based are, in part, influenced by Judaism and Islam.

9. Jodorowsky's unfinished blockbuster

Well before David Lynch's controversial adaptation which the director himself would define as «the worst film I've ever made», Dunes it could have seen the light, already, in the second half of the 70s thanks to the Chilean director Alejandro Jodorowsky. The ambitious film project was supposed to last ten hours. Driven by a stellar cast with Orson Welles as the Duke of Atreides, Salvador Dali as the emperor and Mick Jagger, the never-made space opera would have boasted a soundtrack by Pink Floyd. On the Dunes Jodorowsky's failure there is a documentary.

10. The TV series

In 2000, the famous cycle of science fiction novels had a television adaptation in the three-episode miniseries, Dune – The Fate of the Universe starring William Hurt.