Dune: Part Two's Timothée Chalamet Talks Learning to Ride Worm

The actor details the challenges of bringing the iconic scene to life.

By Patrick Cavanaugh

When Paul Atreides rides the Shai-Hulud in Dune, the massive sandworms that live on the planet Arrakis, it marks not only a thrilling sequence for fans to witness, but a significant moment in Paul's journey to embracing his destiny. Fans have caught glimpses of how the scene transpires in the upcoming Dune: Part Two with its marketing materials, with actor Timothée Chalamet recently recalling how intense it was to bring the sequence to life for the film, while also expressing the significance that this encounter plays in the overall plot. Dune: Part Two lands in theaters on March 1st.

"I was getting blasted with sand the whole time with a huge industrial fan. It was right in my face," Chalamet shared with ComicBook.com. "I think it's important that the stakes feel high there, and I think they are sincerely high. As Mother Mohiam would say, there's the potential that he's the one, it's not a definite thing, he still has so much to learn, she says in the first movie. That's why I love the introduction of [Austin Butler's] Feyd-Rautha's character, because we see it's not a pre-destination, it's not Neo from The Matrix. There's real mortal possibility here."

He added, "I loved shooting it. They built a little slab of the actual worm and the rest was superimposed. It was insane and controllably-uncontrollably violent, the rig."

To build even more excitement for the sequence, a full six-minute clip of the encounter has already been released online, though watching it ahead of the film's theatrical release likely won't have the same impact as witnessing it in a cinematic setting.

Dune: Part Two 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 big-screen epic Dune: Part Two includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Léa Seydoux, with Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Denis Villeneuve directed from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts based on Frank Herbert's iconic novel. 

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Dune: Part Two will hit theaters on March 1st.

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

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