Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve recently shared that he makes Chani the main character in the sequel and live-action adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel.
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two (2024), Warner Bros. Pictures
Speaking with Games Radar, Villeneuve admitted, “As the movie progresses, there’s a shift in the main character, and Chani becomes my reference as point of view.”
Villeneuve also shared that he’s giving the character of Lady Jessica a larger role in his film, “Strangely, Jessica’s more in the background in the second part [of the novel] – I thought that was not proper.”
He explained, “She’s still Lady Jessica, the main architect of the story. I thought that was a very powerful idea that was not sustained in the book. I made sure that she has the character presence in the second part.”
Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica and Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures
Zendaya would also share, “What Denis does very well is take the female characters more deeply into consideration.”
She added, “He was really able to build out a strong sense of [Chani’s] own views and life. It wasn’t entirely like she’s at the will of who she’s in love with. I did feel a particular sense of care for what Chani represents in his films.”
Zendaya as Chani in Dune Part Two (2024), Warner Bros. Pictures
Villeneuve admitted to the LA Times back in 2021 while promoting the first film that the biggest element of Herbert’s novel he focused on was the women.
He said, “At the very beginning of the creative process, I remember Eric Roth asking me, ‘What is the most important element I should focus as I’m starting to write the first draft?’ I said, ‘Women.'”
“There are so many things in the book that are so relevant and so prophetic but I felt that femininity should be up front. We needed to make sure that Lady Jessica is not an expensive extra,” he explained.
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune Part Two (2024), Warner Bros. Pictures
Villeneuve is no stranger to inserting wokeness into Frank Herbert’s work. He infamously race replaced Chani with Zendaya. He also race and gender replaced Liet Kynes with actress Sharon Duncan-Brewster.
His scriptwriter Jon Spaihts explained to the LA Times the decision back in 2021, “Herbert’s novel is, to some extent, an artifact of its time and it definitely skews male in ways that don’t feel completely contemporary now.”
He added, “Of all the messages in the story, the message brought by Liet Kynes of planetary stewardship, of the preciousness of resources, of the necessity of building bridges to local communities to sustain ourselves going forward — those are modern messages, and it seemed right to modernize the messenger.”
Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Liet Kynes in Dune (2021), Warner Bros. Pictures
Villeneuve also claimed that the novel and film are relevant because of its various themes including colonialism.
Variety’s Jennifer Yuma asked Villeneuve, “What is it about Dune that makes it still so relevant today?”
Denis Villeneuve on why #Dune is more relevant today: “The impact of colonialism, the exploitation of natural resources… all of those subjects are more present in our society.” https://t.co/SVUDofB03H pic.twitter.com/sBZES7preZ
— Variety (@Variety) September 13, 2021
He answered, “I would say that it’s not still relevant, I think it’s more relevant. Because the thematic that Frank Herbert explored when he wrote the novel in the beginning of the 60s.”
“The impact of colonialism, the exploitation of natural resources, the danger of mixing politics and religion together, the danger of messianic figures all those are subject as just being more extrapolated today…not extrapolated, just more vibrant and present in our societies,” he said. “So, I think sadly, the book is more relevant today than it used to be when it was written.”
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune Part Two (2024), Warner Bros. Pictures
He elaborated, “The exploitation of natural resources that are done because of extreme capitalism. I’m talking about extremes right now.”
He continued, Then you can see that the forces that will oppose will be sacred and linked with religion. And that is a mix that is dangerous and volatile. And that’s something the movie is digging into.”
What do you make of Denis Villeneuve’s comments about Dune: Part Two?
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