Dune trailer: Here’s your first look at Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic

By Rick Marshall September 9, 2020

Dune Official Trailer

Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune has been one of Hollywood’s most-anticipated movies for a while now due to its celebrated director, iconic source material, and stellar cast. Now we have our first look at the film, courtesy of the official Dune trailer.

Directed by Villeneuve from a screenplay penned by Jon Spaihts, Eric Roth, and Villeneuve, Dune follows a noble family in the distant future that relocates to the dangerous desert planet Arrakis in order to manage production of the most valuable commodity in the universe: The substance known as “spice.” Their stewardship of the planet puts them in the crosshairs of a ruthless rival family, and the convergence of deadly ambition and powerful mysticism at play on the planet soon threatens everything they hold dear and everything they know about the universe.

The film casts Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, the young prince of the noble family that relocates to Arrakis. Along with Chalamet, the film’s cast includes Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, a veteran soldier and Paul’s mentor; Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson as Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica Atreides, respectively; and Javier Bardem as Stilgar, the leader of Arrakis’ indigenous population, known as the Fremen. Joining them in the cast are Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, Zendaya as the Fremen woman Chani, and Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, the Atreides family’s swordmaster.

The premiere of the first trailer for Dune was preceded by a behind-the-scenes presentation of the film hosted by Stephen Colbert on the Twitter Movies account. The presentation featured various members of the cast and creative team, including Villeneuve, discussing the process of making the movie, the source material, and some of the challenges in bringing Dune author Frank Herbert’s vision to the screen.

Timothée. Rebecca. Oscar. Josh. Zendaya. Sharon. Jason. Javier. Denis. DUNE TRAILER FIRST LOOK. ???? https://t.co/ePHY6aGem4

— Twitter Movies (@TwitterMovies) September 9, 2020

Warner Bros. Pictures released the first look at Chalamet as Paul Atreides in April.

Villeneuve’s adaptation of Dune was first announced in 2016. The film is based on Herbert’s seminal 1965 novel of the same name, which is widely regarded as one of the greatest works of the science-fiction genre and has inspired countless novels, films, TV series, and other projects over time. Herbert penned five sequels to the original Dune, covering events transpiring on Arrakis and elsewhere around the universe. The film directed by Villeneuve is is expected to be the first half of a two-part adaptation of Herbert’s original novel.

Despite the uncertain status of many indoor movie theaters around the world, Dune is currently scheduled to be released in IMAX, 3D, and standard theaters throughout the United States on December 18.

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