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Frank Herbert ’s sci - fi epicDunehas gotten twotheatrical adaptations so far and there are noted divergence betweenDune1984 vs 2021 ( and its subsequence ) . In 1984 , conductor David Lynch , known mostly for humble - budget movies involving eubstance horror , set out to conform Herbert ’s intimidating novel . Lynch ’s original version was over 14 hour and want dense cutting , so the pic fans receive needed a great deal of exposition to be understood . Though its H.R. Giger - inspired aesthetic and certain creative liberties have with the root material made it divisive , Lynch ’s take has develop a cult following .
In 2021,director Denis Villeneuvedecided to see if he could conquer the novel that had been deem unfilmable , ensue in decisive and fiscal succeeder . Unlike Lynch , Villeneuve did n’t assay to fit the entire book into one motion picture but or else split it into a trilogy ( starting with 2024’sDune : Part Two ) which , when combine with his own unparalleled visual style and narrative conclusion more faithful to Herbert ’s work , made for some renowned departure between the two versions ofDune . While rooter will come to their own conclusions on which adaptation is superior , seeing how two master filmmaker border on the massive source material differently is fascinating .
After the explosive ending of Dune 2 , Dune 3 could cap off Denis Villeneuve ’s Dune trilogy by focus on the events of the novel Dune : Messiah .
15Paul Has A Hero-To-Villain Arc In Villeneuve’s Version Of Dune
The Modern Dune Keeps The Character’s Nuance
David Lynch ’s 1984 translation ofDuneportrays Paul Atreides ( Kyle MacLachlan ) as a classic hero . His ascension to great power is picture as triumphant , culminate in him action his destiny as the preach savior of Arrakis . The final moments ofDune1984 - where Paul commands the rainwater to come down - reenforce a triumphant , almost mythical ending . However , this is a major deviation from Frank Herbert ’s novel , which paint Paul ’s ascent as deep tragic .
Denis Villeneuve ’s adaptation embraces Herbert ’s original vision , setting Paul ( Timothée Chalamet ) on a route from reluctant hero to eventual tyrant . Dune : Part Two(2024 ) shows Paul twist with the weight of prophecy , knowing that accepting his role as the Fremen messiah will let loose a annihilating holy war across the universe . Unlike Lynch ’s version , Villeneuve ’s Paul is in full aware of the consequences of his upgrade , yet he still choose to seize power .
Dune : Part Two eventually settles the 59 - year - old debate over Frank Herbert ’s Dune supporter Paul Atreides — and whether he ’s a baddie or a wedge .
This moral decline will culminate inDune : Messiah(2026 ) , where Paul is expected to fully cover his role as a flawed , tragic swayer . Rather than the victorious paladin Lynch presented , Villeneuve ’s Paul is a human eat up by fate , make choices that turn him into the very material body he once fear — determine up a much darker , more faithful version of Herbert ’s vision .
14Paul Didn’t Need Powers to Control Sandworms in Dune: Part Two
A Key David Lynch Change Diminished Paul’s Abilities
One of the primal differences between David Lynch’sDuneand Denis Villeneuve ’s is how Paul Atreides gain ground dominance over the sandworms of Arrakis . In Lynch ’s reading , Paul can not summon or ride the monumental creatures until he drinks the Water of Life , a deadly rite that wake up his full prescient power . This suggests that his big businessman over the dirt ball is tied to his mystical transformation into the Lisan al - Gaib .
Villeneuve ’s adaptation , however , stays truer to Frank Herbert ’s novel by portray Paul dominate sandworm - riding without any supernatural intervention . InDune : Part Two , Paul learns this skill from the Fremen , just as he does in the book , proving his worth as a drawing card through experience and preparation rather than prophecy . His ability to command a sandworm is not a result of pledge the Water of Life but rather his discernment of Fremen ways .
This modification reinforces Villeneuve ’s more grounded feeler to Paul ’s journey . Instead of relying on mystical powers , his assurance over the Fremen comes from his actions and strategic choices . This version of Paul is more aligned with Herbert ’s vision - where myth and politics lace , but skill and leadership matter just as much as fate .
13Chani Is The Hero Of The Modern Dune Trilogy
Denis Villeneuve Portrays Paul Much More Faithfully
In David Lynch’sDune , Chani ( Sean Young ) is a relatively pocket-sized character , principally serving as Paul Atreides ’ erotic love involvement . She has little agency in the story and survive mostly to stomach Paul ’s journey . However , Denis Villeneuve’sDunefilms reframe Chani ( Zendaya ) as a fundamental protagonist , positioning her as the emotional and moral heart of the narration .
By giving her more means , Villeneuve transform Chani from a background sexual love interestingness into a key player shaping the future of Arrakis , making her the on-key hero of the modernDunetrilogy .
InDune : Part Two(2024 ) , Chani is no longer just Paul ’s romantic partner - she is a fierce Fremen warrior who challenges his growing messianic status . Unlike in Lynch ’s variant , where Paul in full espouse his function as the Kwisatz Haderach , Villeneuve ’s adaptation highlight Chani ’s skepticism toward the spiritual mythos surrounding him . She correspond the grounded , human view of the Fremen , resisting the political handling that Paul at long last succumbs to .
This shimmy in focussing sets up Chani as a leading figure inDune : Messiah(2026 ) , where her character is wait to expand beyond anything seen in Lynch ’s version . By giving her more agency , Villeneuve transform Chani from a ground love sake into a primal instrumentalist shaping the future tense of Arrakis , making her the true hero of the modernDunetrilogy .
Chani ’s decision to leave at the end of Dune : Part Two was shroud in enigma , and it has monolithic implications for the future of the tale .
12Baron Harkonnen’s Look & Demeanor
A More Cunning And Less Grotesque Baron Is Introduced In 2021
As he ’s depicted inDune1984 , Baron Harkonnen ( Kenneth McMillan ) is a sincerely disgusting mankind with boiling point all over his brass and a tendency to torture animals and people . A aspect depicting him sexually violate a untested man not only designate his complete disregard for others ( it ’s also heavily implied he thirst after his youngest nephew ) but what book reviewer know is entirely accurate to Herbert’sDune . McMillan ’s portrayal is a stark scoundrel , whose outside accurately depict just how depraved his insides are .
However , Dune2021 took a much different route bring Harkonnen ’s unholy fictional character to the screen . Baron ( Stellan Skarsgård ) is still nefarious , but rather than be a murdering psychopath , he ’s intelligently manipulative . Any hint at his intimate appetency have been removed and the wayHarkonnen floats inDuneadds an eery aspect to the character . However , Skarsgård ’s characterization of the Baron is also much more pernicious and cunning than McMillan ’s . He does n’t get very much screen sentence by dividing line , buthe helps establish House Harkonne ’s participation in the Emperor ’s sea captain plan to crush House Atreides .
11The Emperor Isn’t In Dune 2021
Villeneuve Is Saved The Emperor For Part Two
The Emperor , the someone responsible for sending House Atreides to Arrakis , appears inDune1984 ( toy by legendary actor Jose Ferrer ) adumbrate his dodging to set House Atreides up to fail . However , Villeneuve does n’t have the Emperor in his first moving-picture show at all but does mention him , incorporating parts of this conversation into dialogue with other fibre . Lynch tried to abide as close to Herbert ’s novel as he peradventure could , result in a 14 - hour - farseeing sci - fi epic that had to undergo massive cuts . However , Villeneuve obviously did n’t experience that the Emperor ’s persona was call for to by rights narrate the level .
Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV is a striking part of the book and is said to have flex on House Atreides because Gurney Halleck and Duncan Idaho civilise a fighting force to touch his Sardaukar army . Dune1984 goes into this exposition in exhausting contingent . It ’s not essential to have the Emperor inDune2021 because the exposition he offer happens in other ways , but this also wee spectator less likely to understand his motivation .
While the character ’s persona in the first half of the story was removed , Christopher Walker played Emperor Shaddam IV inDune : Part II . Villeneuve really made the more Koran - precise choice , since the fiber is often mentioned more than he ’s determine in the first half of the novel .
10The Sandworms Look Different
Lynch And Villeneuve’s Designs Of The Creatures Differ Drastically
The sandworms fromDune1984 and 2021 are some of the most iconic creatures in all of science fable , andDune1984 feature them conspicuously . Not only are they regularly seen , but they ’re also life-sustaining to Paul Atreides taking back Arrakeen from House Harkonnen . In Lynch ’s adaptation , theDunesandworms havemouths that look like flush petals and are filled with sharp teeth . In 1984 , the VFX that give way into creating theDunesandworms was an impressive achievement , using practical consequence models , blue screens 35 feet high , and miniature Set .
By demarcation , sandworms are rarely see inDune2021 , perhaps out of a desire to keep them as mysterious threats . At the big moment when one is eventually seen , its oral fissure is simply a rotund tunnel of C of grand of sharp teeth . Unlike in Lynch ’s movie , hearing will have to await for Part 2 to see if Paul ( Timothée Chalamet ) learns how to drive one .
It ’s quite possible that Villeneuve is keep these famed creatures under wraps to properly wow audiences withDune2 . Villeneuve ’s sandworms are much more unnerving looking thanDune1984 ’s with their G of tooth and are more visually accurate to what Herbert describes .
9The Weirding Way Isn’t In The 2021 Version
Lynch Embraces The Unique Bene Gesserit Technique
The Weirding Way , a form of movement that combines strong-arm and psychological preparation , was an aspect of the Bene Gesserit that Lynch depicted as a transonic beam weapon cry the Weirding Module . As Paul Atreides ( Kyle Maclachlan ) tells the Fremen,“Some sentiment have a certain auditory sensation . That being the equivalent to a form . Through sound and motion , you will be capable to [ vote down ] your foe . “He then force out the Weirding Module at a endocarp , shattering it inDune1984 .
For whatever reason , Dune2021 decides to leave out the Weirding Way entirely . Villeneuve does feature the Voice , another deadly constituent of Bene Gesserit teachings , but chooses to leave out any expression of the Weirding Way . This does n’t necessarily mean that Paul and Jessica do n’t use the Weirding Way technique , it just peculiarly is n’t mentioned by name . While it is another aspect that could be let in in Villeneuve ’s secondDunemovie , it seems improbable that they would wait to introduce a unusual conception like this so late in the story without mentioning it before .
81984 Had A Constant Internal Monologue
Lynch Paid Homage To Herbert’s Writing In Frequent Voice-Over Narration
An interesting matter that happens quite frequently inDune1984 involves accessing type ' thoughts through home monologue . They ’re often direct quotes from Herbert ’s book of account and something thatDune2021 completely does aside with . The never-ending internal soliloquy inDune1984 was divisive for audience . Fans of Herbert ’s novel get hold the extra grapheme exposition refreshing and a respectful style to make up court to the reservoir stuff . Others reckon the story cut too much into the action and take away from the narrative .
The internal monologues inDune1984 foreground a large aspect of Herbert ’s book that would have been turn a loss in the ocular mass medium of pic , but they can be jarring , and they do n’t allow the actors a prospect to emote . InDune2021 , the doer come across as much more emotionally resonant because they are n’t staring vacantly into space while their privileged soliloquy play . Like the original , Dune2021 does still contain narration . The opening toDune2021 bear a story sequence from Chani ( Zendaya ) , whereasDune1984 gave this dialogue to Princess Irulan .
7Lady Jessica Is More Prominent In 2021
Villeneuve Amplifies Lady Jessica’s Role
InDune1984,Lady Jessica ( Francesca Annis ) has only a handful of conniption , most of which involve Paul in the desert . Her most important setting takes place when she becomes the Modern Reverend Mother of the Bene Gesserit and break premature nativity to her daughter as a result . Dune1984 reckon a much more inactive Jessica , despite the fact that she was inherent to Paul ’s delegation and training . It ’s odd , as Lady Jessica had a much larger role in the book than what Lynch put to the blind .
Dune2021 make Lady Jessica ( Rebecca Ferguson ) an essential part of the plotand a strong wise man for Paul both before and after his father ’s death . Herbert wrote strong distaff character , but that potency was n’t always convey through their action , particularly since the power structure in his universe prefer men . Villeneuve ’s Lady Jessica is made much more than " Leto ’s doxy " by testify how Paul gets the long suit to face his trials . It ’s through Jessica that Paul memorise just about everything needed to know to complete his mission and save his family and his multitude .
6Feyd Rautha And Alia Show Up Late In The Modern Dune Trilogy
Key Heroes And Villains Are Missing From The 2021 Version
SinceDune1984 is a complete cinema , Lynch includes two important characters from the book ’s 2d half ; Feyd Rautha ( Sting ) , Baron Harkonnen ’s power - thirsty nephew , and Alia Atreides ( Alicia Witt ) , Paul ’s piffling sister with all the big businessman of the Reverend Mother . Alia , in particular , plays an significant use in the story ofDune . During the invasion of the palace on Arrakeen , Alia poisons Baron Harkonnen with a Gom Jabbar and kills dying soldiers on the field of honor for their water .
Feyd Rautha is one of the most renowned novel addition to the report inDune : Part 2with Oscar nominee Austin Butler take on the role . The character ’s look is dissimilar from how Sting appeared in 1984 with Butler appearing more inhuman . The engagement between Paul and Feydis also being build up as an exciting face-off . Alia was also in brief inDune : Part 2 , meet by Anya Taylor - Joy . However , she has yet to be as prominent a character as in David Lynch’sDune .
The Dune serial launch a massive sci - fi franchise . With more films and television set shows in maturation , here are the six book order from worst to best .