A Sense of Doubt blog post #3642 - DUNE Movies Skip Most Controversial BookLove all the
Dune: books, movies, TV show.
Fantastic.
I understood without this article why Villeneuve will end his trilogy with Dune: Messiah and not Children of Dune.
However, with the success of the TV show Dune: Prophecy, surely more Dune spin-offs will be released and Children of Dune is an obvious candidate.
As much as I am a fan, I am not a super fan and have not read past the fourth book, God Emperor of Dune not counting the first volume of the graphic novel of the House of Atrieides.
I am here for all of it, and if there are going to be more spin offs, I need to get reading.
Meanwhile, I need to re-read Dune: Messiah before December 16th, 2026.
I can manage that.
Thanks for tuning in.
Story by Ben Morganti
• 5d •
Ever since 1984, Dune has had TV movie adaptations and continuation novels but never a true attempt to finally remake the movie. When Villeneuve was attached to the new film in 2016, many fans wondered how he might approach the material. Immediately, Villeneuve's films have separated themselves from previous iterations. Since the films have been released, they have proven to be masterful works of science fiction in a myriad of ways. Dune: Part Two has been considered one of the greatest sequels of all time by some audiences. The funny thing about the second film being a sequel is that it's actually not entirely a sequel at all. Villeneuve has made a conscious choice to focus primarily on the most important character in the Dune novels: Paul Atreides. By doing so, he is secretly skipping the most controversial book in the series.
Dune and Dune: Part Two Are the First Novel Split Into Two Parts
This Prolongs the Story of Paul Atreides
Some book-to-film adaptations or book-to-television adaptations have a very simple format in which the first book is adapted to the first film, the second book, the second film or second season, and so on and so forth. A series that did this really well was the Harry Potter franchise, which didn't split a book into two parts until the last one. That format became very common for film series based on books.However, Villeneuve took a different approach entirely, and it is not common at all. Villeneuve splits the first book in the Dune series into two parts. Fans of the book understand this intentional choice by the great sci-fi director. While fans (including Villeneuve) love the entire Dune series, there's no denying that the books change drastically as the series goes on. While some of the later books are delightfully surprising in their own ways, many are a step down from how incredible the first few books are. Villeneuve understands that in order to tell one of the most contained stories of Dune, he must focus on the most important arc in the series.
Although it might not seem like much, Zendaya's Chani does something very different in the films that could completely change Dune: Messiah.
In many ways, splitting the first book into two films is great for expanding on the character of Paul Atreides and allowing audiences to spend more time with him. His rise in the first film and turn to darkness in the second is one of the most powerful arcs in science fiction. Allowing the space to spend time with Paul gives him more sympathetic and empathetic growth and connection to the audience. It makes his dark turn that much more impactful. It also sets up the next film as well as the book sets up its sequel.
Of course, fans might not realize how different the second book actually is and that the cliffhanger that is established in the final moments of Dune: Part Two won't pay off in the way they expect. Nonetheless, the first two Dune films are full of substance and are well crafted as a story specifically about Paul Atreides. Despite the intentional changes Villeneuve makes to his adaptation, there isn't much that is excluded from the book aside from a couple of characters. While the argument for whether Dune: Part Two is actually a sequel can be had, the upcoming third film is going to adapt the true sequel and wrap up a trilogy before delving into the more esoteric direction of the source material.
Dune: Messiah Makes Sense as a Conclusion to a Trilogy
Paul Atreides' Story Can Come to an End
If the first film in the Villeneuve trilogy is about setting up the ultimate conflict in the Imperium and blowing up Paul's world, then the second film is about Paul's rise to power and takeover of the Imperium. In the Dune: Messiah novel, the story picks up years after Paul's Jihad in which a large-scale war with the great house ensued. While this could work as a follow-up to Dune: Part Two, the real way to conclude Paul's arc is by spending time with him as Emperor Muad'dib before the end of his reign.
In the Dune: Messiah novel, that is exactly how things progress. Paul is the Emperor, and he is ruling the Imperium with an iron fist when subtle forces bring new conflicts to his doorstep. The way the novel plays out is exhilarating and heartbreaking to the point where it changes the direction of the entire Dune series. Ultimately, Dune: Messiah finishes the arc of Paul Muad'dib and sets the stage for different circumstances in the third book. From this point of view, it makes a lot of sense to finish a film trilogy with the second novel instead of the third.
There are a number of great Dune spin-offs and prequels in literature that could inspire more new Dune TV shows.
Villeneuve has focused the entire film trilogy on Paul and his rise to power. Now fans will get to see him wield that power when it is at its fullest strength. The reason this will be so powerful is that Dune: Part Two depicts Paul's turn to darkness. Dune: Messiah will need to be Paul's villain tale and an arc of either destruction or redemption. Fans know how things play out in the book, but it is already feeling like Villeneuve's adaptation will be different from the source material.
There are currently too many elements working against Villeneuve making the most faithful adaptation of Dune: Messiah. At this point in his trilogy, it is going to separate itself from the books and focus on its own purpose as a sci-fi trilogy: it will end the story of Paul Atreides.
While there has been speculation that Warner Brothers and Legendary want to continue the series after Dune: Messiah, it will not include Villeneuve and ultimately exist separately from the director's initial trilogy. The format of the new Dune films and the source material allow for this possibility. Villeneuve's trilogy is going to end right before adapting the most controversial book in the series.
Children of Dune Turns Leto Atreides II Into the New Protagonist
It Also Establishes Much More Storytelling in the Dune Series
What makes the third Dune book so controversial is its overall direction and how it steers the series away from the original protagonist, Paul Atreides. While Paul is in the book, his role is incredibly different from the previous two novels. It concludes his arc in a much different way than fans expected.
In many ways, Children of Dune is a masterpiece in and of itself. Acting as its own sci-fi epic with a thick plot and tons of twists, Children of Dune actually makes the story of the Atreides family more melodramatic. However, it became very clear that the story was not over, and that the series was about to go in a completely different direction. Children of Dune has been adapted on its own once before already in the 2003 miniseries which focuses on the rise of Leto Atreides II. The fact that the third book in the series could be made on its own further proves the separation it has from the first two novels.
The real protagonist of the Dune novels is not who fans would think, but they are definitely a fan-favorite character.
Without Paul Atreides, Children of Dune turns its attention entirely to Paul's children, Leto II and Ghanima. As the book progresses, the story becomes entirely about Leto II and makes him the protagonist. Where the book goes and how it ends sets the stage for an entirely different kind of book in the series. The following books are truly different from the contained story of Paul Atreides that is told in the first couple of novels.
In order for Villeneuve to have a chance at a singular three-film arc for the main protagonist, he had to split the first book into two films and subtly avoid the third novel in the original series. It will be interesting to see how the Dune franchise continues beyond Villeneuve's films. With a spin-off series released on MAX and other projects in the works, it is clear that there is an intention to expand the franchise even more. Despite its storytelling controversies and overall direction, Children of Dune would make an epic sci-fi movie. However, it doesn't have a strong enough place in the story Villeneuve is currently telling.
Dune
Original title: Dune: Part One.
A noble family becomes embroiled in a war for control over the galaxy's most valuable asset while its heir becomes troubled by visions of a dark future.
Director Denis Villeneuve
Release Date October 22, 2021
Cast Zendaya, Josh Brolin, David Dastmalchian, Stellan Skarsgård, Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Chang Chen, Charlotte Rampling, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem
Writers Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Frank Herbert
Rating PG-13
Genres Drama, Action, Science Fiction, Adventure
Dune: Part Two
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.
Director Denis Villeneuve
Release Date February 27, 2024
Cast Rachid Abbad, Xavier Alba Royo, Abdelkarim Hussein Seli Mohamed Hassanin, Elbooz Omar Ahmed Fathie, Akiko Hitomi, Tara Breathnach, Kait Tenison, Giusi Merli, Souheila Yacoub, Imola Gáspár, Joseph Beddelem, Roger Yuan, Charlotte Rampling, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Lea Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Babs Olusanmokun, Dave Bautista, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem
Writers Denis Villeneuve
Rating PG-13
Genres Science Fiction, Adventure
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 2502.06 - 10:10
- Days ago: MOM = 3507 days ago & DAD = 162 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I post Hey Mom blog entries on special occasions. I post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day, and now I have a second count for Days since my Dad died on August 28, 2024. I am now in the same time zone as Google! So, when I post at 10:10 a.m. PDT to coincide with the time of Mom's death, I am now actually posting late, so it's really 1:10 p.m. EDT. But I will continue to use the time stamp of 10:10 a.m. to remember the time of her death and sometimes 13:40 EDT for the time of Dad's death. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
