New Dune Adaptation’s Rating Revealed

Director Denis Villeneuve‘s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s Dune was set to hit theaters this month, only to be delayed until next October due to the coronavirus pandemic, though the upcoming adaptation has officially earned a PG-13 rating. This rating will surely allow a maximum amount of viewers to check out the sci-fi/fantasy spectacle, but given the ambitious nature of the experience, we wouldn’t have been surprised if the film earned a more mature rating, especially given that the filmmaker wasn’t afraid to push boundaries with his Blade Runner 2049 back in 2017. The new Dune hits theaters and HBO Max on October 1, 2021.

The new Dune is rated PG-13 for “sequences of strong violence, some disturbing images, and suggestive material.”

A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence-a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential-only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

The original novel from Frank Herbert has been adapted for both film and TV, though the author’s son Brian Herbert, who has written a number of entries in the Dune franchise, previously claimed that this new take on the material is the “definitive” version.

“I was very impressed by the trailer, and I was thrilled to actually be on the movie set in Budapest last year, where my wife and I watched the filming of several scenes,” Herbert shared with Inverse about the new film. “This is a really big movie, a major project that will forever be considered the definitive film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel. Fans are going to love this movie. Denis Villeneuve is the perfect director to do Dune.”

One of the challenges previous adaptations have faced is that the sheer density of the narrative makes it difficult to cover in one consumable effort. Villeneuve is quite aware of this fact and confirmed earlier this year that he hopes for at least one follow-up film to help convey the sprawling nature of the source material.

The new Dune hits theaters and HBO Max on October 1, 2021.

Are you looking forward to the new film? Let us know in the comments below!