Breaking down the epic moments and tantalizing teases from the new Dune: Part Two trailer
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The new trailer for Dune: Part Two is here, and it has lots of hints about what to expect from the second installment of director Denis Villeneuve's two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's iconic sci-fi novel (though Villeneuve previously told EW that he'd like to make a third movie as well, adapting Herbert's sequel Dune Messiah).
Let's break down some of the striking images, and what they tease about where things are going.
Harkonnen supremacy
By splitting Herbert's original novel in half, Villeneuve and his collaborators got to end their first Dune movie in a similar vein as The Empire Strikes Back. In other words, the bad guys won. For now, House Harkonnen reigns supreme over the desert planet Arrakis, and its members have quite an arsenal to enforce their power — including this cool spaceship, which looks like a more aggressive version of the craft in Villeneuve's 2016 film Arrival.
'I believe in Fremen'
The first scene of 2021's Dune was narrated by Chani (Zendaya) and showed Fremen fighters attacking Harkonnen spice-mining operations. Chani may be allied with Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) now, but she hasn't lost her taste for battle. Just look at the size of that gun!
A happy reunion
Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) was one of the most loyal lieutenants of House Atreides, and thankfully survived the Harkonnen massacre. It makes sense that he's so happy to see Paul again, and should hopefully serve him as well as he did the late duke.
The Water of Life
As Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling) told Paul's mother, Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), in the first film, "a path has been laid." That's a poetic way of saying that the Bene Gesserit visited Arrakis long ago and seeded various traditions and prophecies among the native Fremen population that may now work in the Atreides' favor. Paul is not the only one who has some growing to do: We see brief shots in the trailer of Jessica undergoing a ritual that will transform her.
The princess and the emperor
The Harkonnen attack on House Atreides only worked because the Harkonnens were secretly supported by Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) and his legions of nigh-unstoppable berserkers known as Sardaukar. The emperor is supposed to remain neutral in the political squabbling of noble houses, but Shaddam IV saw Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) as a threat to his own power — a man who could potentially unite the noble houses against the throne. Now that Leto is dead, the emperor is enjoying his victory in exactly the kind of sunlit, tree-filled garden that the Fremen of Arrakis have long dreamed of… at least until his daughter Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) informs him that Paul Atreides is still alive.
'Deal with this prophet'
We've caught glimpses of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (Austin Butler) before, but now we see what a menace he can be on the battlefield. As the young prince of House Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha is the natural rival to Paul Atreides. The trailer makes clear that Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) isn't the only one counting on Feyd-Rautha to take care of Paul — the emperor is too.
The future isn't always what it seems
As the Kwisatz Haderach, Paul has visions of the future — but they're not always literal. Recall that in the first film, Paul repeatedly foresaw friendly advice from Fremen warrior Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun), who promised to "show [him] the ways of the desert." When they actually met, Paul killed Jamis in a duel, which allowed him to be accepted into Fremen society and learn the ways of the desert.
Similarly, Paul had a vision of fighting alongside Fremen warriors, but in this trailer we see the scene recreated with Chani in his place. It sure seems she will be as integral to the struggle against the Harkonnens and the corrupt emperor as Paul himself.
Showdown
Paul and Feyd-Rautha are such natural antagonists that it's not really a spoiler to say they're destined for a showdown. But will Paul be able to keep up with those killer moves Feyd-Rautha showed off earlier in the trailer? Even if he does have the power to triumph, will Paul be afraid to use that power? Only one way to find out.
True believer
If the prophecies about the Kwisatz Haderach and Muad'Dib were seeded eons ago by the Bene Gesserit, does that make them any less true? Paul certainly does have the power to help the Fremen achieve what they want! Throughout the trailer, we hear Chani push back against Paul's messiah complex. But Stilgar (Javier Bardem) makes it clear where he stands: "I believe!" Stilgar's support is integral to Paul winning over the rest of the Fremen.
'Long live the fighters'
The emperor's Sardaukar are regarded as the strongest fighting force in the universe — but that's mostly because most powers in the universe haven't encountered the Fremen before. Who will win in a great war between these forces? The trailer doesn't tell us, but it does give a sense of the passion that the Fremen have on their side. Straight out of Herbert's novel, "Long live the fighters!" is quite a rallying cry.
The power to destroy
No, the Dune: Part Two trailer didn't suddenly become a teaser for Oppenheimer in its final moments. But that explosion looks kinda familiar, doesn't it?
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