Are you ready to return to Arrakis? In March 2024, the ultimate battle is waged in Dune: Part Two, which is the concluding half of Denis Villeneuve's staggering two-part sci-fi saga.
The first instalment of Frank Herbert's Dune adaptation introduced us to sand-blasted Arrakis, the conflict over the valued spice melange and the dynastic conflict between the warring houses of Atreides and Harkonnen.
Timothée Chalamet's fugitive heir presumptive Paul Atreides fled into the Arrakis desert with his mother, seer and Bene Gesserit member Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). There they took up with the indigenous Fremen and began to plot the retaliatory strike against the villainous Harkonnens.
Dune: Part Two is the payoff that we've been waiting for, featuring a lot more sandworm action and introducing many new characters. Florence Pugh's Princess Irulan (whose observations crown each chapter of Herbert's novel) bears witness to the threat that Paul Atreides poses to her father's empire. Said father is Emperor Shaddam IV of House Corrino and is played by Christopher Walken.
Elsewhere, Paul's supremacy is challenged by the vicious Feyd-Rautha, portrayed by Elvis star Austin Butler. Pale of visage and ferociously strong, Feyd is the nephew of the scheming Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and faces his own power struggle as he's pitted against his cousin, Glossu 'Beast' Rabban (Dave Bautista).
Lurking in the shadows is Bene Gesserit member Lady Margot (Lea Seydoux) who is tasked with getting closer to Feyd to aid the sisterhood's secretive breeding program.
Back on the more familiar ground of Arrakis, Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) bears witness to Paul's emergent abilities as both the Fremen 'mahdi' (chosen one) and the 'kwisatz haderach', the prophesied super-being that can unite the universe or instigate a devastating, galaxy-wide jihad. And Lady Jessica undergoes a radical transformation of her own that will define the shape of things to come.
Evidently, there's a whole lot of exciting lore that remains to be discovered. Here are some striking new posters that hint at the battle to come.
Dune: Part Two is released on March 1st, 2024. Can't wait that long to get your Timothée Chalamet fix? You can catch him in the delightful new family release Wonka, which hits Cineworld on December 1st.