“Dune,” the 2021 film, was a global success and generated over 400 million dollars with a budget of $165 million. The movie is based on the 1965 sci-fi novel of the same name, which was written by Frank Herbert. Both the film and novel follow the character Paul Atreides as he and his family travel through the interstellar future and arrive at the fictional desert planet of Arrakis. Arrakis is home to the sought-after substance known as Spice, whose value comes from its power to improve navigation during space travel. Paul, the son of the merciful Duke Leto, must lead a resistance against the Harkonnens, who have colonized Arrakis to mine its mythical substance. 

  The film was highly anticipated because of its famous source material and ensemble cast stacked with some of Hollywood’s biggest stars. The cast includes Timotheé Chalmet as the protagonist along with Zendaya, Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, and many more in supporting roles. 

  In October of 2021, a sequel was greenlit by Warner Bros. The movie covers the second half of the “Dune” novel, finishing off what was left unsolved in the first movie. New cast members for “Dune: Part 2,” including Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and Christopher Walken were announced in 2022. In the film, Paul unites with Chani, a native of the planet Arrakis, and members of the resistance. He must make an impossible choice to save the universe from a terrible fate that only he can foresee. 

  Millbrook sophomore Ursula Furnas explained what she anticipates for “Dune: Part 2” and stated, “I’m really excited to see Zendaya’s character, Chani, play a bigger role. In the first movie, she only made a few brief appearances, but you were able to see that she’s going to make a big influence on the story aside from just being Paul’s love interest.”

  The release date of “Dune: Part 2” was pushed back several times because of Hollywood’s SAG-AFTRA strike, but it’s almost here and is set to premiere in theaters on March 1. So far, it has amassed glowing reviews from critics with early access. It has a 97 percent certified fresh rate on Rotten Tomatoes with 146 reviews. The son of Frank Herbert (the “Dune” series author) even tweeted about how much he loved the film and said, “I saw ‘Dune: Part Two’ at a private studio screening, and it is gratifying to see my father’s story told with such great care. When the new movie is combined with ‘Dune: Part One’it is by far the best film interpretation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel ‘DUNE’ that has ever been done.” Brian Herbert published a series of his father’s works after his death using his notes, so a review from him holds weight. 

  There are many things for “Dune” book lovers and fans of the first movie to look forward to when Part 2 hits screens. Millbrook sophomore Berklee Axford said, “I’m most intrigued by how they’re gonna portray the new villain, Feyd Rautha. His appearance looks super book accurate and I hope his character is too and I’m excited to see Austin Butler in a role like this.”

  See Denis Villeneuve’s highly-anticipated second “Dune” movie on Friday, March 1.