Dune, one of the year’s most anticipated blockbusters—from acclaimed director Denis Villenueve with an all-star cast of Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa and Rebecca Ferguson—finally arrived last weekend. And while audience response has ranged from thrilled to bemused, one thing that seems certain is the prospect of More Dune. Villeneuve has been open about only adapting the first half of Frank Hebert’s first Dune book for this film. But it’s one thing to see “Part One” in the sub-title, it’s another to actually sit through the film and have it come to what may seem—especially to someone who hasn’t read the book—a very abrupt ending. Many moviegoers bemoaned the decision, as the movie cuts off just as the action is heating up, with Chalamet’s protagonist Paul and his mother Jessica (Ferguson) joining the Fremen in the desert after Paul kills one of them in battle, and thus finally catching up to the visions Paul had been having throughout the film.
It’s even more concerning that it ended this way without a guaranteed sequel—Dune is a popular book franchise in its own right, but the MCU this is not. However, based on box office projections—the film made $40 million in its opening weekend, a new benchmark for day-and-date releases—and noises made by execs it seems likely that Warner Bros will greenlight part two sooner than later. Here’s what to expect for that film.
(Note: these predictions are based on what happens in the novel and thusly contain mild spoilers for a potential sequel.)
Thufir Hawat will have much more to do
Portrayed by acclaimed character actor Stephen McKinley Henderson, Thufir is a Mentat, a being in the Dune universe who acts as a human supercomputer. While it might appear to a non-book reader that he and Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) died off-screen during the fall of House on Arrakis [Philistine Editor’s Note: This is definitely what I assumed], Hawat and Gurney (more on him later) are both very much alive. Hawat will be forced to act as Mentat to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgaard) in place of Peter de Vries, who was killed by Duke Leto’s (Isaac) poison capsule. However, Hawat, while acting on the whims of the Baron, will also be sowing doubt about the Harkonnen ruling class. Many fans complained that Henderson, one of our generation’s most venerated character actors, had little to do in Part One. Rest assured: If Villeneuve uses Herbert’s text as a guide, Hawat will be a major player in the second installment.
Zendaya has more to do!
Rest assured, Zendaya fans—as frustrating as it must have been to watch her endlessly promote a film that she ends up appearing in about seven minutes total of, as the woman that appears in Paul’s visions? Chani and Paul become…very acquainted with one another. Paul becomes accepted into the Fremen way of life, and as they see his abilities develop, they proclaim him their messiah. (The sequel to the first novel is named Dune: Messiah). Chani and Paul’s relationship grows and becomes more serious If he follows the books, Villeneuve will flesh out more of Zendaya’s character, and her relationship with Paul.
A Harkonnen power struggle will emerge
Dave Bautista’s Glossu Rabban is another character we saw very little of considering the high profile casting. In Part 2 though, expect the Baron Harkonnen to encourage Glossu, his nephew, to rule with almost totalitarian authority. But some internal family drama arises too when the Baron seems to favor another nephew as well.
An old friend will return
The Harkonnen siege on the Atriedes clan led to many deaths, including Duke Leto, Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), and many others. But not everyone met their end.Weapons specialist (and lyrical master) Gurney Halleck reappears years after the attack as a smuggler. The reappearance of Gurney, a skilled fighter, aligns with Paul’s purpose of avenging his father and overthrowing the Harkonnens.
This is all obviously conjecture, but if Villeneuve is as faithful as he was in Part One, we can expect all (or most!) of these things to come to a big screen near you.