Eagerly awaited after the success and acclaim of its predecessor, the first trailer for Dune: Part Two has finally been released. Adapting the latter half of Frank Herbert's novel, the movie is set to take the strengths of the first film and multiply them by ten. In doing so, it could end up replacing a cinematic franchise that it once inspired.
Many have noted the similarities between Dune and George Lucas' Star Wars, though the actual films are fairly different. Nevertheless, now's perhaps the best time for Dune to really hit it big in the theatrical landscape, especially considering the state of Star Wars at the moment. By combining its own strengths with elements ironically seen in some of the most hated Star Wars entries, Dune: Part Two may define the genre for years to come.
Dune: Part Two Looks Like a Better Version of the Star Wars Prequels
One thing that many fans noted (and disliked) in the Star Wars prequels was the heavy focus on politics and intergalactic treaties. This, in many ways, made the movies feel more like Star Trek, and it didn't help that these elements were fairly poorly done. In contrast, such political intrigue was always a huge part of the world of Frank Herbert's Dune, a book that clearly played a part in shaping the galaxy far, far away. Those same elements that they share were on display in the 2021 Dune, and they're back in full force with the trailer for Dune: Part Two.
The trailer shows the enemies of the House Atreides conspiring against Paul, who many believed to have died in a Harkonnen-engineered assassination attempt. Likewise, there's also a lot more action this time around, delivering more of the bombast that those expecting a Star Wars-type film likely didn't get from the first Dune. When combined with Hans Zimmer's tribal score and Denis Villeneuve's expert direction, it makes for an utterly epic and cinematic storytelling experience. Thus, it's not hard to classify the modern Dune adaptations as much darker, better takes on the Star Wars prequels, and this could lead to its replacing the LucasFilm franchise on the big screen.
Dune: Part Two Can Replace Star Wars During Its Cinematic Absence
There hasn't been a new cinematic Star Wars production since the release of 2019's Star Wars: Episode IX - The Rise of Skywalker, with several attempts to get something new off the ground falling by the wayside. There's recently been a new slew of movies announced, though whether they'll actually see the tail end of production remains to be seen. In the interim, Star Wars has become more represented through TV shows on Disney+, such as the popular series The Mandalorian. While this show, in particular, has helped keep the brand alive, it's also had the effect of erasing its cinematic specialness.
Dune: Part Two can easily replace Star Wars in this regard, especially with no new movie concretely scheduled. The trailer alone has created a more spectacular set piece via Paul riding a sandworm compared to anything in the Disney sequel trilogy, especially since those films were rather controversial among the fandom. With the first film already fairly well-received, an even better sequel would cement Dune as the king of science fiction films for an entire generation. The biggest irony of this would be the aforementioned inspiration that Star Wars drew from Herbert's book, as well as the fact that, for several decades, Dune was seen as an "unfilmable" story. Denis Villeneuve has already proven that theory incorrect, and with any luck, his next film may make Star Wars culturally irrelevant compared to the story that inspired it.
Dune: Part Two awakens on Nov. 3, 2023.