Dune: Part Two Director Says Movie's Ending Is "More Tragic" Than the Book

Denis Villeneuve offers a new perspective on the Frank Herbert novel.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

Director Denis Villeneuve concludes his adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune with the release of Dune: Part Two in March, though the director warned that the ending of his film is "more tragic" than the ending in the book. It's unclear, however, if the ending of the film is more tragic due to Villeneuve making overall narrative tweaks to the source material or if he is merely expressing that the experience of witnessing the finale through the tone he has created will ignite a much different reaction in audiences than reading the book. Dune: Part Two will be landing in theaters on March 1st.

"All of the elements are there," Villeneuve shared with Total Film, per GamesRadar. "But I think the movie adaptation is more tragic than the book. The way that Part Two ends... it would create a total balance and equilibrium to finish Paul's storyline in what we could say in [Dune: Messiah]."

Heading into the release of 2021's Dune, Villeneuve made it clear that the film was only telling half of the story, and while he has also expressed his interest in adapting Messiah, the next book in the series, he promises that Part Two tells the "complete" story and that it offers a "heartbreaking" resolution. In this sense, it doesn't sound as though there is much teased about what is next for our heroes in the way that the first Dune left some narrative threads unresolved.

Despite Villeneuve's interest in developing Messiah, a third film has yet to officially be confirmed by Warner Bros.

Dune: Part Two is described, "This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee."

The upcoming sequel stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Dave Bautista as "Beast" Rabban, and Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen. Newcomers to the franchise include Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, and Christopher Walker playing Emperor Shaddam IV.  

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Dune: Part Two is set to hit theaters on March 1st.

Are you looking forward to the sequel? Let us know in the comments!

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