Based on Frank Herbert’s seminal best-selling novel of the same name, the big-screen adaptation of DUNE, starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and more, streams first on HBO GO from December 25.
Beyond Fear, Destiny Awaits
Set thousands of years in the future, “DUNE” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a young man propelled by fate into an intergalactic power struggle. The son of beloved, embattled ruler Duke Leto and powerful warrior priestess Lady Jessica, Paul will be given the ultimate test: to conquer his fear when fate—and powerful unseen forces—pull him inexorably to the sands of the remote planet Arrakis.
Arrakis—home to an indigenous human civilization called the Fremen and known to these natives as Dune—has been fiercely contested for generations. Humanity fights for control of the Spice, a rare, highly valued, mind-expanding natural resource upon which space travel, knowledge, commerce, and human existence all rely. But those seeking to harvest the Spice must survive the planet’s inhospitable heat, hurricane-strength sandstorms, and monolithic sandworms that are justly feared with the kind of reverence usually reserved for gods.
Academy Award nominee Denis Villeneuve directed DUNE based on a screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve, and Oscar winner Eric Roth (“Forrest Gump”). Villeneuve’s imagining of the namesake novel for the big screen fully immerses the audience in a profoundly moving story of Paul’s coming of age set against family rivalries, tribal clashes, social oppression, and ecological disaster on the unforgiving, austere planet, creating a fantastical cinematic experience that is both epic and intimate.
“To me, ‘Dune’ is a psychological thriller, an adventure, a war movie, a coming-of-age movie. It’s even a love story,” remarks Villeneuve, who at last is able to fulfill his lifelong dream of bringing the landmark work with its complex mythology to life. “There’s a reason the book stayed on my shelf, beside my bed, all those years.”
Assembling an Otherworldy Cast
When it came to casting, Villeneuve and the producers assembled an astonishing list of actors to fill the coveted roles. “To my great pleasure, most of my first choices were available and willing to embark on this journey with me,” Villeneuve said.
The film stars Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet (“Call Me by Your Name,” “Little Women”), Rebecca Ferguson (“Stephen King’s Doctor Sleep”), Oscar Isaac (the “Star Wars” franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (“Milk,” “Avengers: Infinity War”), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO’s “Chernobyl,” “Avengers: Age of Ultron”), Dave Bautista (the “Guardians of the Galaxy” films), Stephen McKinley Henderson (“Fences,” “Lady Bird”), Zendaya (“Spider-Man: Homecoming,” HBO’s “Euphoria”), Chang Chen (“Mr. Long,” “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon”), David Dastmalchian (“Blade Runner 2049,” “The Suicide Squad”), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story”), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (“45 Years,” “Assassin’s Creed”), with Jason Momoa (“Aquaman”), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (“No Country for Old Men,” “Skyfall”).
“DUNE” was shot on location in Hungary, Jordan, Abu Dhabi, and Norway.
Stream “DUNE” from December 25, only on HBO GO.
Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email us at story.wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com Facebook Page. Interact with the team and join the WhenInManila.com Community at WIM Squad! Get the latest news about the Philippine Entertainment industry and join the WIM Showbiz Facebook group! We also share our stories on Viber, join us!
