With Dune 2 hitting theaters, fans are wondering which book it is based on out of the 23 books by Frank Herbert, Brian Herbert, and Kevin J. Anderson. So, here’s all you need to know about Dune: Part Two’s inspiration.
Which Frank Herbert novel is Dune 2 based on?
Dune: Part Two is based on the second half of Frank Herbert’s first Dune novel, which was first published in 1965.
While it’s common for a particular novel-based film to adapt one whole novel, the producers of the new Dune movies decided to release two movies out of the first Dune novel. The first film took up the first half of the 1965 novel while Dune 2 adapts the second half.
Back in 2021, Villeneuve spoke to Wired and explained the decision to split the book into two movies because of its rich source material and the potential for world-building. He said:
“The decision I made right at the beginning, and everybody agreed with it, is that the book is—there’s so much to tell. It was too much for one movie. Or you make a five-hour movie and everybody hates you because it’s too long. So we decided to make it in two parts. The story of the first movie sustains itself. When you look at it, I think it’s satisfying. But to complete the story, you need a second movie.”
Considering the reviews of both films and reactions to Dune: Part Two in particular, it’s needless to say that the director was right to split the first book to flesh out the world of Dune in a detailed manner.
But from here on, Dune 3 will possibly adapt the whole second book, “Dune Messiah.” It doesn’t need to be split into two movies because the audience is already familiar with the world and will be ready for the next set of story events to move at a much quicker pace.
For more updates, learn if Dune: Part Two has a post-credits scene. Also, find out whether Dune 2 could be a box-office success.