The first movie was a sensation, but it was only half the story.
Now, director Denis Villeneuve and his hand-picked stars break down the second part of their sci-fi epic.
Timothee Chalametis thinking ahead.
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.Peter Ash Lee
But his eyes are also on the horizon.
Paul isnt alone in this fight, but he doesnt yet know all of his enemies.
These four young stars feel like the future not just of this franchise, but blockbuster cinema itself.
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.Peter Ash Lee
They’re superpower actors, Chalamet says of his costars.
Like this cast,the firstDunewas all about potential.
But thats not to say it was easy making these dreams a reality.
Zendaya and Florence Pugh.Peter Ash Lee
Tolkien did with Elvish.
All the actors went to Fremen school!
They took weeks to learn the language and came on set absolutely fluent.
Florence Pugh.Peter Ash Lee
There was even a dialect coach on set.
Everybody took it so seriously, and I was so moved to see Timothee give whole speeches in Chakobsa.
I wanted to bring justice not just to the arc of Paul, but also toDune.
Florence Pugh and Zendaya.Peter Ash Lee
And I knew that those were the days.
Even when we rehearsed that scene, we went all in.
But that day I was like, Oh no, hes serious right now.
Austin Butler.Peter Ash Lee
I actually felt bad about that, Chalamet continues.
I thought, Im in the pocket.
Let me just get this done.
Austin Butler and Florence Pugh.Peter Ash Lee
I’m really proud of that scene.
That might have been my favorite day on set.
When it finally happened years later, Villeneuve says he was amazed by what Timothee brought to life.
Austin Butler and Timothée Chalamet.Peter Ash Lee
Its something to see that shy boy from the beginning bring all the firepower in that scene.
I was moved to tears by how magnificent and powerful he was.
And theres more where that came from inPart Two.
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.Peter Ash Lee
(You canhear an excerpt of Zimmers new soundtrack here.)
The music really is so striking and so beautiful.
It brings such emotion to everything, Zendaya says.
Its really, really special.
Villeneuve wanted to adjust that while staying true to the authors vision.
I felt it was more meaningful to give them more substance and presence, their own agendas.
But even the biggestDunenerds may be surprised by how much more unyielding Chani is in the film.
I had been thinking a lot about her, Zendaya says about the years between filming.
Despite falling in love with Paul, Chani rejects his takeover of the Fremen movement.
She wants to defeat the Harkonnens, but not if it means switching out one white-skinned overlord for another.
That was more exciting for me to play because it was a little more complicated, Zendaya says.
Its constantly something that she’s battling inside of herself.
That gave me something more to hold on to, and I really appreciated that.
When Frank Herbert wroteDune, he was disappointed at how people perceived Paul, Villeneuve says.
In his mind,Dunewas a cautionary tale a warning against charismatic figures.
He felt that Paul was perceived as a hero, when he wanted to do the opposite.
With humility, I hope that this adaptation is closer to Frank Herberts original intentions, Villeneuve says.
I used Chanis character to do so.
I gave her a different agenda, and used her to bring a different perspective to the story.
This role as narrator was superseded by Chani in the first film, but now the princess has arrived.
And she agreed, Villeneuve says.
I made the same deal with Florence.
Irulan still has an important part to play inPart Two.
Florence is quite a human being.
She has that kind of inner strength that I was looking for, Villeneuve says.
I didn’t want Irulan to be a victim, or to feel like a tool.
I wanted her to have her own agenda, and take her destiny in her own hands.
I love actors who are good listeners.
Florence was absolutely fantastic for that.
She was able to capture all the tension that her character is going through in her silences.
I think this might be one of the quietest characters I’ve ever played.
But what I loved about the script is that she’s constantly listening and constantly aware.
I learned so much about Princess Irulan from just my first costume fitting, Pugh says.
You never know what version of a princess you’re going to play.
Even on set, the other actors could feel his power.
It was cool to see even legends like Javier Bardem be starstruck by Walken, Chalamet recalls.
They were like little boys, all taking turns to be like, Hi, Chris!
He is a legend, adds Villeneuve, and everybody bows in front of the legend.
That kind of charisma transcends the camera.
Hes not the president of the United States, hes the emperor of theuniverse!
you better feel that commanding power when he walks into a room.
The Emperor isnt the only major character who has to immediately make his presence felt inDune: Part Two.
Paul may be a prince with much promise, but hes not the only one.
His dark opposite, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, is waiting in the wings.
Villeneuve now sees that taking a break in between was the better approach forDuneafter all.
As it happened, the actor also had to prove that he could handle the desert ofDune.
It was 110 degrees and so hot, Butler recalls.
It became like a microwave.
There were people passing out from heatstroke.
And that was just my first week.
Yet, Butler adds, It really bonds the entire crew.
Theres something so humbling about being in such an uncomfortable environment.
The gladiator sequence is also distinct from any other inDune: Part Two.
I wanted their world to feel binary, fascist, insectoid, without nuances, Villeneuve says.
What kind of person does such an environment produce?
Butler had first readDuneas a teenager and remembered the impression Feyd-Rautha made on him.
Like Paul, the Harkonnen prince is the descendant of a great galactic dynasty.
Thats how you flourish in the light of a black sun.
But viewers should not expect a Southern accent this time.
The Baron exudes power and domination.
AsDune: Part Twobegins, everything seems to be going Baron Harkonnens way.
How can Paul and his Fremen allies possibly stand up to such force?
What do the maker hooks like?
How do you use them?
It required a tremendous amount of [research and development].
Ultimately, a whole team was dedicated just to designing and filming the worm ride sequence.
Led by Villeneuves wife, producer Tanya Lapointe, they were quickly christened the Worm Unit.
You go to the Worm Unit, and you go up this ladder onto a platform.
And then you get two gripping devices.
They figure things out before we get there, adds Zendaya, who did some worm riding herself.
You give a shot to find the positioning as much as you’re free to.
Some of those shots took weeks to do.
That was by far the most complex sequence I have ever done in my life.
When it comes to the worm ride in particular, Villeneuve has gotten to see his vision come true.
Frankly, it’s exactly the dream I had, Villeneuve says.
I wanted it to feel so real, so edgy, and so dangerous.
If anyone could pull it off, itsDunes and Hollywoods golden children.
