Dune: Part Two released a new trailer today, offering our best look yet at director Denis Villeneuve’s continuation of his 2021 Frank Herbert adaptation. There will be a revolution, there will be assassins, there will be mystical orders of generational witches vying for political power via bloodline manipulation, and I will be seated. I will be ready. I will laugh out loud every single time anyone ever says “desert power” with sincerity, but you know what? This was a good trailer. Let’s break it down.
Chani and Paul
We start with a view of the desert on Arrakis. Chani — a native woman and member of the Fremen, played by Zendaya — sits next to Paul Atredies (Timothée Chalamet), the son of the erstwhile occupiers/colonists sent by the Emperor to “manage” Arrakis. A bit of an unlikely pairing, but that’s the story, and we are sticking with it.
Love power
I am a sucker. I want these two to be happy. I think they deserve it. Look at Zendaya, she’s wonderful. Anyway, in a recent interview Villeneuve said that the romance between Chani and Paul is what gives this story life, and I am ready.
Mystery basket!
A coterie of folks pulling along a basket/palanquin of some kind. This looks like a group of Fremen.
Lady Jessica
In the basket, we have Lady Jessica, played by Rebecca Ferguson. We see her eyes are blue because of the spice on Arrakis, and she’s got her face covered in tattoos — most likely prophesy. Jessica was a member of the Bene Gesserit, Leto Atredies’ concubine, and is Paul Atredies’ mother. She’s absolutely a kingmaker, and she will be a problem.
Princess Irulan
Our first look at Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, the daughter of the Emperor. She’s clearly got an investment in House Atredies, and not without reason; Paul was in contention to be her husband.
The aftermath
A quick reminder that in Dune: Part One, House Atredies was given control of Arrakis by the Emperor. Nobody trusted this. Then the former overlords of Arrakis — House Harkonnen — launched an attack on Atredies and Arrakis. This is the aftermath of that attack.
A little Leto, as a treat
Duke Leto Atredies (Oscar Isaac), a good space dad despite the whole colonizer situation, RIP.
Another vision?
Dune: Part One focused a lot on visions and dreams — is this another one?
We are giving Irulan a lot of screentime
There’s an interesting choice to keep Irulan understated. I wonder if this is going to be a contrast later in the film.
The return of Gurney Halleck
Josh Brolin’s Gurney Halleck might have disappeared from the ending of Dune Part One but it’s clear he’s back for Part Two! He’s one of the lieutenants of House Atredies, and is probably one of the people searching for Paul and Jessica. I can’t really tell what kind of armour he’s got on, but it doesn’t look like Fremen.
HERE HE IS! THE BOY!
My favourite worst man.
Twitter’s future babygirl
Here is the first look at Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, a vicious and frankly horrible man who, as a part of the Harkonnen family, is dispatched to Arrakis to bring down Paul Atredies and the Fremen. He’s the younger nephew of Baron Harkonnen.
Let the Spice flow
This feels familiar… where have we seen this vibe in a Villeneuve film before? (It’s Blade Runner 2049.)
Another worst boy, but the worse-er kind
OK so here’s Dave Bautista as Glossu Raban, another nephew of Baron Harkonnen, and kind of a knucklehead. His nickname is the Beast, and I’m sure he’s going to be fine and make no bad decisions ever.
Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
The man who killed Daddy Leto is back! He’s going to be sending a ton of people to Arrakis, probably, to try and quash the Fremen revolution and kill Paul. He’s played by Stellan Skarsgård, and the man is doing his best to act through all that makeup.
Lady Margot revealed!
Léa Seydoux is Lady Margot of the Bene Gesserit, the wife of Count Fenring, and one of the great manipulators in Dune. We don’t get much of her in the trailer so I’m not going to go into book spoilers, but just like, you know, pay attention.
Under Arrakis
We love a mystery! Where are they going? What are they doing? Fremen heist plot!
Water?
Maybe special water?
FIGHT!
I love a roll forward to grab a weapon, it’s very good.
CLASH!
This looks like Paul versus a Harkonnen-armoured person of some kind. Maybe Raban? Perhaps a betrayer of some kind? Either way, the more swords in a sci-fi movie the better.
I can fix him
I cannot WAIT to see Austin Butler be weird as hell. I cannot wait.
Someone’s in trouble
So this looks like Lady Jessica, but pre-tattoos.
The thumper
This is a rhythmic device the Fremen use to lure sandworms to their location. This is Paul setting one up as he hopes to undertake a Fremen right of passage — wormriding. I wish there was a cooler name for it, but sadly, there’s not. The main character of this series is named Paul, I don’t think Frank Herbert cared much for making things sound cool.
Chani watches from the sidelines
Time to ride a worm.
Naib Stilgar
Javier Bardem, who got like three seconds of screentime in Part One, gives Paul some instructions for his first worm ride. Stilgar is Chani’s uncle and is probably being less than subtle when he tells Paul he doesn’t have to impress anyone.
Maker hooks!
So these are actually far fancier hooks than Herbert describes — in the book version of Dune they were basically crowbars. These, however, look a lot cooler.
I need a Wo-o-o-orm Rider!
(Sung to the tune of “Cool Rider,” obviously.)
Hark! A worm.
God this is FILMMAKING.
Run run run
Honestly, this is an absolutely banging sequence that I am so excited made it into the trailer, for a few reasons. The first is that I love when trailers show you a pivotal scene. This is what changes for this character, this is how it happens. Second, there’s actual cinematography here, which is so nice to see in an action film trailer. It takes its time, showing everything.
Thirdly, this was was so clearly telegraphed in Part One that to act as if it’s a spoiler would be foolish; better to put it right out there in the trailer so nobody can get mad.
Wormriding, step by step
After calling a worm and getting on its back, somehow, get your maker hooks into a scale.
Wormriding, step two
Pull back real hard. The goal here is to lift the scale up so that the sand starts to go underneath the scales.
Wormriding, step three
As you lift up, stand, give yourself some distance so you can manipulate the scale you’ve pulled up.
Intermissio: CHEER!
Your boyfriend did it!
Wormriding, step four
RIDE BABY! The worm will not go under the dunes as long as its scale is pulled up, as this causes irritation. You can use this method to change the direction of the worm and travel long distances. It’s a rite of passage for all Fremen, and we’re just so happy Paul figured it out. Let’s go, Maud’Dib.
Harkonnens ride at dawn!
I suspect this is Harkonnen armies heading to the Fremen stronghold.
FEYD!!
God, I’m so ready to watch this man be horrible. And this black and white gladiator ring? CINEMA!!
Maybe?? Princess Irulan?
Nobody get mad if I’m wrong but I suspect this is Irulan visiting the Fremen.
LOVE POWER
I cannot wait to tell everyone that Dune: Part Two is a romance, actually.
Sardaukar Assassins
This looks like Lady Jessica again, probably caught by the Emperor’s mercenaries, but it’s hard to tell.
Let the Spice Flo
This is for sure Florence Pugh as Irulan, so I’m absolutely willing to bet that the shadow men in the previous slide were the Sardaukar — the elite assassins of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV (Christopher Walken, not seen in this trailer), Irulan’s father.
My Joker origin story
“I can make him worse,” -Lady Margot, probably.
Oracle Mother
A lot of SWANA and MENA cultural references here, just… a lot. A ton. Many. Whew.
BATTLE AT ARRAKEEN
What a gift; we’ve already got the big showdown in the trailer so, once again, nobody can say this is a spoiler. Feyd-Rautha versus Paul Atredies, a battle for Arrakis. We absolutely love to see it.
May your blade chip
God I love a catchphrase.
And your blade shatter
Hail, Maud’Dib, sandmouse!
Time to revolt
We love to see it.
What a trailer!
A Good Trailer. A truly excellent trailer. Smart, sharp, giving us just enough so that we know the plot (Paul unites the Fremen, revolts, fights Feyd-Rautha) while the rest of the political power-players (the Bene Gesserit, Irulan, and Harkonnen) scrabble for relevancy against literal giant sandworms and a nation of colonised peopel who are so fucking ready to do a murder.
It’s going to be good. It’s going to be very, very good.
Stacked
Just take a look at that cast. What an era. What a time. What a film. I’m so excited. Denis Villeneuve has been cooking and we’re about to eat. Dune: Part Two is going to be absurd space prestige and I’m ready for the next iteration of weird fantasy storytelling parading as science fiction.
Dune: Part Two releases in theatres on November 2.