Finally, the new version of Dune, with Dennis Villenueve directing it is here.
Dennis Villenueve (Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, Prisoners, Sicario) directs a great cast with Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson,Dave Bautista,Stellan Skarsgård,Charlotte Rampling,Oscar Isaac,Zendaya Javier Bardem,Josh Brolin,Jason Momoa, David Dastmalchian.
In the far future of humanity, Duke Leto Atreides accepts the stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe, “melange” (also called “spice”), a drug that extends human life, provides superhuman levels of thought, and makes faster-than-light travel practical. Though Leto knows the opportunity is an intricate trap set by his enemies, he takes his Bene Gesserit concubine Lady Jessica, young son and heir Paul, and most trusted advisors to Arrakis. Leto takes control of the spice mining operation, which is made perilous by the presence of giant sandworms. A bitter betrayal leads Paul and Jessica to the Fremen, natives of Arrakis who live in the deep desert.
Dune was originally scheduled to be released on November 20, 2020, but was pushed back to December 18, 2020.The film was then delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this time to October 1, 2021, taking over the release date slot of The Batman, where it will be theatrically released in 3D. In late June 2021, Warner Bros. announced that it was delaying the film again by three weeks to October 22, 2021, to avoid competition with No Time to Die. Over a month before the domestic North American release date, the film will have a staggered theatrical release schedule in most international markets that do not have HBO Max, beginning on September 15, including in France, Sweden and Switzerland.
Warner Bros. announced in December 2020 that, like all of its other planned 2021 films, Dune will be streamed simultaneously on the HBO Max service for a period of one month, after which the film will be removed until the normal home media release schedule period,following a similar release pattern that Warner Bros. used for Wonder Woman 1984.Villeneuve was one of several directors, alongside movie theater chains and production companies (including Legendary Entertainment, which produced and financed the film), who expressed disappointment and displeasure over the move. In a column published in Variety, he wrote, “Streaming can produce great content, but not movies of Dune‘s scope and scale. Warner Bros.’ decision means Dune won’t have the chance to perform financially in order to be viable and piracy will ultimately triumph,” and that, “My team and I devoted more than three years of our lives to make it a unique big screen experience. Our movie’s image and sound were meticulously designed to be seen in theaters.” At the end of his appearance on Saturday Night Live that same month, Chalamet wore a hoodie with the Legendary Pictures logo on it, which was interpreted in the media as support for Legendary and disapproval of the streaming deal.
Dune had its world premiere on September 3, 2021, at the 78th Venice International Film Festival. It is also slated to screen at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival, which will have an IMAX world premiere screening at the Cinesphere.
