The following contains spoilers for 'Dune: Part Two' and the original Dune novel.
The Big Picture
- Dune: Part Two differs from the original novel by omitting characters like Alia and Leto II.
- Thufir Hawat's subplot is completely removed from Dune: Part Two, altering key events in the story.
- Chani's character in Dune: Part Two has significant changes from the book, impacting her relationship with Paul and future adaptations.
Denis Villeneuve brings Frank Herbert's epic, sci-fi saga, Dune, to life on the big screen with Dune: Part Two. The new film wraps up the original 1965 novel in Herbert's celebrated book series. As a film adaptation, Villeneuve's Dune duology is closer to the source material than David Lynch'sless esteemed version released in 1984. However, while Villeneuve’s take is more faithful to Herbert’s books, many changes remain from the original novel. Besides a highly condensed timeline compared to Herbert’s novel, many subplots and ideas were omitted. Not to mention, some eyebrow-raising deviations from the book raise many questions about future film installments that will adapt Herbert's later novels that continue the journey of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). Here are some of the biggest differences between the books and Dune: Part Two.
Dune: Part Two
PG-13 Sci-FiDramaActionAdventure810Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
- Release Date
- March 1, 2024
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Cast
- Timothee Chalamet , Stellan Skarsgård , Florence Pugh , Zendaya , Rebecca Ferguson , Javier Bardem
- Runtime
- 166 minutes
There Are No Babies in 'Dune: Part Two'
In Dune, it's revealed that Paul's mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), became pregnant to a daughter with Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) before Arrakeen was sacked by the combined forces of the Harkonnen and the Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV's (Christopher Walken) elite Sardaukar warriors. The child, Alia Atreides, is born in the latter half of the original book and plays a significant role in the final act.
In both the film and the book, Lady Jessica undergoes a holy Fremen ritual to cement her place with the Fremen when she and Paul seek refuge among Arrakis’ native people. The ritual involves drinking the Waters of Life, which has a strange effect on Jessica's unborn daughter. Jessica's imbibing of the Water of Life causes her consciousness to expand, and it's as if she receives all the memories of the previous Reverend Mothers of the Fremen tribe. Since Jessica ingested the substance while pregnant, her unborn fetus also went through the same mind-altering process.
However, Herbert's original book takes place over about three years. In the back half of the novel, Jessica has already given birth to her daughter, Alia, and by the final act of the novel, Alia is about two years old. In the film, the timeline of events that occur after House Atreides is usurped by the Harkonnen is highly condensed from several years to a matter of months. That means the film never depicts Jessica giving birth to Alia, and by the end of the film, she is still in the midst of her pregnancy.
While Alia is still yet to be born in the film, Dune: Part Two pays homage to the book version by making the character a presence who speaks telepathically with her mother after the Waters of Life ritual. One can only speculate why Alia never formally appears, but the filmmakers likely wanted to avoid any comparisons to the baby in Twilight: Breaking Dawn. Critics and moviegoers were also unnerved by the idea of a weirdly intelligent toddler, as portrayed by Alicia Witt in the 1984 Dune film directed by Lynch.
Alia does technically appear in the film, but only toward the end. After Paul undergoes the same ritual with the Waters of Life, he sees a vision of his sister as an adult, portrayed by none other than Anya Taylor-Joy. This is likely meant to foreshadow the adult Alia, whom Taylor-Joy would likely portray in future film installments, in which the character plays a more significant role. However, by the end of Dune: Part Two, Alia is still yet to be born.
That brings us to another child who was omitted from the sequel: Paul and Chani's first child, Leto II. In the original novel, Paul and Chani (Zendaya) become parents to an infant boy whom they name after Paul's father. During their time as rebel fighters residing in the Sietch Tabr. While Paul and Chani develop a romance in the film, they never have a child, and it's never indicated that Chani is expecting a child. In the book, their child tragically dies during a Sardaukar raid on the Sietch where Leto is hidden. Since Dune: Part Two highly condenses events from several years to a few months, there is simply no time for Paul and Chani to conceive a child and for Chani to give birth. It’s also likely the filmmakers wanted to avoid the topic of having the main characters' infant child die in such a violent fashion to avoid an R-rating. Lynch similarly avoided Chani and Paul's child in his adaptation, so it's not surprising the character was completely jettisoned.
So Long Thufir
While House Atreides' loyal Mentat, Thufir Hawat (Stephen McKinley Henderson), is present in Dune, his subplot is completely excised in Part Two. In the novel, when the Harkonnens usurp House Atreides, Thufir Hawat survives the siege on the capital city of Arrakeen, and he's taken prisoner by Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) who poisons Hawat and forces him into Harkonnen servitude. However, Hawat remains loyal to the Atreides cause by attempting to manipulate and sabotage Baron Harkonnen and his nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler) behind the scenes, albeit unsuccessfully. Thufir Hawat ultimately dies by suicide with a Gom Jabbar needle when Paul leads his attack to overthrow the Emperor and the Harkonnens' rule over Arrakis. Thufir takes his own life after realizing the Fremen warrior Muad'Dib and Thufir's young master, Paul Atreides, are one and the same. The two only reunite briefly as Thufir dies in Paul’s arms.
Thufir Hawat never appears in Dune: Part Two, and the material in which Thufir attempted to sabotage Feyd-Rautha's gladiatorial fight was changed. In the film, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen refuses to drug an Atreides warrior in the fight pit against Feyd to test the mettle of his younger nephew. Henderson reportedly filmed scenes for Dune: Part Two as Thufir Hawat, but they were all left on the cutting room floor and did not make the final cut. Considering Villeneuve's attitude towards deleted scenes, any footage featuring Henderson filmed for Dune: Part Two will never see the light of day. Viewers can only presume that Thufir Hawat perished during the siege of Arrakeen in Dune.
Chani Rejects Paul's Ascension
The biggest deviation from Herbert's novel comes in the form of one of the book's most important characters, Chani, Paul's lover and partner. Much like the book, Paul and Chani share a whirlwind romance, while the film jettisons their first child, Leto II. However, the changes do not end there. In the film, Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts alter the character, making it so Chani and other warriors among the Fremen share more progressive modern beliefs in comparison to the more deeply superstitious and fanatical Fremen tribes in the Southern Hemisphere of Arrakis. While many of the Fremen believe in a prophesied savior, a "Mahdi," who will come to the planet and liberate the Fremen from oppression and make the planet a lush, green paradise again, Chani is more pragmatic in her beliefs. She does not believe in a magical messiah, and she thinks the Fremen should liberate themselves from Harkonnen rule, rather than a messianic outsider.
Another notable change in Chani is that she appears to have no connection to Liet Kynes (Sharon Duncan-Brewster), the Arrakis planetary ecologist from Dune. In the books, Dr. Liet Kynes is not only secretly a Fremen leader, but also Chani's father (Dr. Kynes is male in the book). In Dune: Part Two, a familial connection between Chani and Dr. Kynes is never mentioned, so more than likely, it was removed.
'Dune: Part Two' Review: Timothée Chalamet’s Sci-Fi Epic Is Bigger Than Ever — and That’s Not Always a Good Thing
Denis Villeneuve completes the first part of his epic based on Frank Herbert's series.In the film, Paul initially supports Chani's beliefs as he attempts to ingratiate himself with the Fremen while learning their ways and fighting alongside them. Paul seeks to avoid becoming the Fremen's perceived savior, while his mother blatantly exploits the deeply religious and superstitious people among the southern tribes. By the end of the film, seeing no other path, Paul reluctantly accepts the role of the prophesied messiah of the Fremen, becoming the new Duke and Mahdi of Arrakis. While he leads the Fremen to victory over Baron Harkonnen and Emperor Corrino, Paul makes a political play, accepting the hand of Emperor Corrino's daughter, Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), in marriage to cement his claim to the throne. Now viewed as a living god by the Fremen, Paul ignites an intergalactic holy war, sending his fanatical Fremen subjects across space to enforce his message.
The film version of Chani is outraged and not too pleased by this turn of events. She appears to view Paul's play for a political marriage with Irulan as a romantic rejection. After Paul starts a holy war with the rest of the universe, she leaves the city of Arrakeen in disgust. The film ends with Chani as she flees from Arrakeen while riding a worm toward the unknown in the deserts of Arrakis. This starkly contrasts with the ending of the novel. In the books, Chani remains devoted and unwavering in her love for Paul, even after all their hardships. While Paul does pursue a political marriage with Irulan in the books, it is merely that. Paul refuses to engage in a romantic relationship with Irulan, recognizing Chani as his only lover and romantic partner. It mirrors the relationship Paul's father shared with his mother, the Bene Gesserit priestess Lady Jessica. Leto never married Paul's mother if he needed to marry someone else for political reasons as the head of a noble lineage. However, Leto always remained true and faithful to Jessica, never marrying anyone else or pursuing a romantic relationship with another consort.
In the film, it appears Chani does not recognize that Paul is playing a political game to cement his claim as the new Emperor. If she does, she's not willing to go along with Paul's plans. Chani, in the book, never rejects the outcome of the ending and stays by Paul's side even after he pursues a political marriage with Irulan, believing in Paul's loyalty and love for her. Another aspect removed from the books is Chani's fierce protective nature toward Paul. When other Fremen warriors attempt to challenge Paul in trial by combat, Chani fights them instead, preventing them from challenging her lover. These changes to Chani as a character for the film adaptation will undoubtedly be the most controversial ones for book readers.
The Future of the 'Dune' Saga
While Dune: Part Two concludes the adaptation of the first novel in Herbert's saga, five other books Herbert wrote remain to be adapted, including those that continue the story of Paul Muad'Dib and Chani. Their story continues in the next novel, Dune: Messiah. Some of the aforementioned changes won't have a major impact on a potential film adaptation of Messiah. However, the changes involving Chani raise many questions about how this would affect the next feature film adaptation that potentially adapts Messiah.
Dune: Part Two is now playing in U.S. theaters.
