by David Disspain
The author of Dune, Frank Herbert famously stated that “charismatic leaders ought to come with a warning label on their forehead: ‘May be dangerous to your health.”
Let the deconstruction of a hero begin.
In Dune Messiah, the second book of the Dune series, the cost of war and the cost of following a charismatic leader play out as its central theme. DUNE: PART THREE and director Denis Villeneuve will likely use this as his blueprint for the story to come, and in watching the trailer, you can clearly see he’s taking it head-on.
This is not going to be a movie that people expect. The book is a thriller. After years of being in power, a conspiracy grows in the shadows against Paul and his reign. But how do you conspire against a man who can see the future? The book lays out the blueprint, and the trailer shows us some of those elements that are going to be in the film. For fans of the books, these are familiar characters. For fans who only know the movies, buckle up. You’re about to meet some of the most fascinating characters ever created.
I’ll start with Robert Pattinson’s Scytale. Scytale is a Face-Dancer, meaning he can alter his appearance and mannerisms to imitate anyone at any time. He is one of the key participants in the conspiracy against Paul and one of the coldest villains in the entire Dune Universe. Expect ruthlessness. Expect cunning. Expect him to bring Paul a gift he does not expect.
That gift is in the form of :GASP: :SWOON: a back from the dead Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho. But is it really Duncan? Idaho is actually a type of clone called a Ghola in the Dune Universe and is called Hayt. Hayt is a key component in Scytale’s plot to overthrow Paul’s destructive regime. There’s a lot of Duncan Idaho in Hayt, but make no mistake, they are not the same. Hayt is different. Hayt has his own thing. Hayt has wants and desires of his own. This is not a mindless reproduction of Duncan. It should give Momoa a chance to steal a few more scenes in the trilogy.
Florence Pugh returns as Irulan, and as one of the co-conspirators against Paul, she’ll be in this film a lot more. Pugh’s star continues to rise in Hollywood, so expect her to show off her acting chops as she plots against her husband. While we didn’t see much of her in the first two films, I’m expecting her to have major screen time in Part Three.
In another move of perfect casting (a safe bet at next year’s Oscars will be Francine Maisler for the newly created ‘Best Achievement in Casting’ award) we are introduced to Paul’s sister Alia, or as she is known on Arrakis “Saint Alia of the Knife” played by Anya Taylor-Joy. Alia is incredibly protective of Paul, and is a major obstacle in the conspiracy against him. She is worshipped and feared by nearly everyone, and even her own mother Jessica, leaves her on Arrakis with Paul because she fears the young woman she birthed. This leads to mommy issues with Alia feeling abandoned and the two have a very strained relationship as a result. Like nearly all of the characters in the Dune Universe, Alia is complex and multi-dimensional and Taylor-Joy should excel in portraying all of her strengths and weaknesses.
There are more co-conspirators that are not shown in the trailer, but still may be in the movie. When the next trailer comes, perhaps we’ll see them as well.
Some of the other faces from the first two are present as well. Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) and Stilgar (Javier Bardem). Once again, the cast is stacked, and Villeneuve knows how to wring the best from them, even if their roles might be more limited.
Once again, the visuals are stunning. Greig Fraser’s work in the first two movies set the scale of the universe with unique styling, color palettes and shot construction. Linus Sandgren takes over for Part Three, but the new set places we see such as Alia’s temple, the Imperial throne room, and what look like other planets falling under Paul’s jihad, look just as epic and massive, and in many ways will bring even more richness to the Dune Universe. In just the two-plus minutes of the teaser trailer, this movie already looks more visceral, more savage, and more personal. This looks like we’re not only going to see the deconstruction of Paul, but also an unflinching, brutal unravelling of war itself. The book might lean heavily in the camp of a political thriller, but Villeneuve is not going to let us off that easily. It definitely looks like he’s got something to say, and we should all prepare ourselves to hear it.
DUNE: PART THREE arrives only in theaters and IMAX on December 18
