With so many of this summer's films delayed, many a moviegoers' eyes have shifted over to the end of the year, where either new films have kept their release dates, or movies planned for earlier this year have been rescheduled. One of the most exciting films on the way, has to be Dune, the much anticipated adaptation of Frank Herbert's influential science fiction novel by Arrival director Denis Villeneuve. The first look at the new film gave us a shot of Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides on an alien world, but there are several other shots making the rounds giving us our first look at other characters.
The cast list for Dune is one of the most impressive things about the movie. In addition to Timothee Chalamet, the film includes Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Zandaya, Jason Momoa, Dave Bautista, and more. Additional images released by Vanity Fair give us an idea of what the characters played by this cast will look like when we finally see them in action later this year.
The first look at Timothee Chalamet, while cool to see, didn't really show off the full sci-fi feel of the whole thing. This image, which shows both Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Lady Jessica, the mother of Chalamet's Paul Atreides, shows the pair wearing the iconic stillsuit, which is probably an image that even those not strictly familiar with Dune recognize. It allows the wearer to survive in the harsh environments of the planet Arrakis, where the vital "spice" of Dune is harvested.
The rest of the images that we have show off what a number of popular characters will look like when Dune hits screens. One important character in the life of Paul Atreides is a woman named Chani, (we'll avoid details for those not actually familiar with the story). In David Lynch's film adaptation, Chani was played by Sean Young. In the new version, the role will be played by Zendaya.
While Dune is, in many ways, a "hero's journey" story for young Paul Atreides, it's also very much a political story. House Atreides isn't just a family but a political institution, one that has a major role in the universe. The head of House Atreides is Duke Leto, who will be played by Oscar Isaac, seen above.
Duke Leto is but one influence on Paul, however. He'll also be mentored by a pair of warriors, who will be played by Jason Momoa and Josh Brolin.
One of the more interesting characters in the new Dune might be that of Dr. Liet Kynes, played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster. Kynes is a male character in Frank Herbert's book, and has been portrayed that way on screen previously. It's certainly not a major change, but it makes one wonder what other changes, major or otherwise, might be on the way from the new Dune.
Dune is scheduled for release December 18.
