Dune tells the story of an extraordinary, full of adventures and emotions journey of Paul Atryda. This brilliant and talented young man is destined for a wonderful destiny that he himself cannot comprehend. But first, Paul must go to the most dangerous planet in the universe to save his family and nation. A fierce conflict erupts on the planet over access to the most valuable known substances that cannot be found anywhere else. It releases people’s greatest potential. But only those who overcome their fear will survive the war.
Directed by Oscar®-nominated director Denis Villeneuve, the film is based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, considered one of the most influential books of the 20th century and the inspiration for many of the most popular films of all time.
“ I discovered this book when I was a teenager. I remember being completely fascinated by what she said about nature – the real main character of Dune , ”says Villeneuve.
“ At the time I was studying science, I wanted to be a filmmaker or a biologist, so the way Frank Herbert approached ecology in this book was very fresh and poetic to me. His view of nature was absolutely mesmerizing – I was amazed by all the beautiful ecosystems he created. His description of the chaos caused by colonialism was a portrait of the 20th century and is still valid today. In all of this there is a young man struggling with his identity, trying to find himself in the world, just like myself. The way Paul discovers his identity through a different culture has been amazing to me . ”
The film adaptation of Dune is family rivalry, tribal clashes, social oppression and an ecological disaster on a ruthless, harsh planet – all of this creates a fantastic cinematic experience that is epic and intimate at the same time.
Herbert himself traveled the world and was a history student who drew a lot from what was going on around him . Villeneuve, considered a master of storytelling on the screen, approached Dune in a very similar way; his goal was to take viewers to places they have never been.
Acclaimed screenwriters Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, as well as Villeneuve, faced tough assignments. Spaihts recalls:
“ It was a chance of a lifetime for me. I first read Duna when I was 12 or 13; it’s one of the deepest things I’ve read and has become one of my favorite reads, like The Lord of the Rings and some other iconic books. The striking experience while working on the script was that all I really needed was to start the scene and my brain just did the dialogues. I knew exactly where each line was headed . “
” I’m a huge Dune fan ,” said Roth. “ It was one of those books that I knew especially well as a teenager. The world of Dune is amazing, as is the language used by the characters, which comes directly from Herbert’s imagination. For me, the most important element of this world was the social aspect and its impact on environmental changes. This book has everything it takes to become a great story: the planet Arrakis, father-son and mother-son relationships, the fact that women are very influential … It seems modern and surprising that Herbert wrote Dune in the 1960s. “
The film was shot in locations in Hungary, Jordan, Abu Dhabi and Norway, where Villeneuve and his team, including cinematographer Greig Fraser and production designer Patrice Vermette, created their own amazing planets. Costume designers Jacqueline West and Robert Morgan designed each character’s appearance the way the director imagined them when he read the book. Even the composer Hans Zimmer, also a big Dune fan, was out in the desert thinking about the future score.
“ For me, Dune is a psychological thriller, an adventure and war movie, but also a movie about coming of age. It’s even a love story , ”observes Villeneuve, who is finally able to fulfill his dream of bringing a landmark work to the screen with all its complex mythology. ” There was a reason why the book was lying on my shelf, right next to my bed, for all these years .”
The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem and Zendaya, among others.
As Villeneuve says, “ Timothée Chalamet’s selection process was very simple: he was gone. I didn’t have a plan B. I knew from the start that I was going to make this movie with Timothée. Fortunately, it was not difficult to convince him because he liked the script very much and wanted to work with me. He is an amazing actor. Above all, Timothée is very prudent and it shows in his eyes. Paul is an intellectual and we have to feel it throughout the movie that he is someone who has doubts about who will reimagine the world around him, accept a different reality and adapt to the new one. It takes a lot of intelligence, the ability to adapt, and that’s what I wanted to see in Paul Atrid . “
Dune was well received by film critics and viewers all over the world. In Poland, the film has so far been watched by over a million viewers.
From January 12, the movie is also available in collector’s editions of 4K ULTRA HD
BLU-RAY ™ STEELBOOK and BLU-RAY ™ STEELBOOK.
Special supplement in DVD edition:
- Aristocratic Houses: Discover planets, family members, stories, relationships, motivations and beliefs of feudal houses and Dune’s political forces, learn about the inner workings of Padishah’s Galactic Empire
Special extras in Blu-Ray and 4K Ultra HD edition :
- Aristocratic families
- Behind the Dune Scenes: Training Room
- Building an ancient future
- Desert brood design
- A dressing room from another world
- A new soundscape
and not only!
