Dune: Part Two

Development began after Legendary Entertainment acquired film and television rights for the Dune franchise in 2016. Villeneuve signed on as director in 2017, intending to make a two-part adaptation of the novel due to its complexity. Production contracts were only secured for the first film, with the second film having to be greenlit based on the first's success. After the critical and commercial success of the first film, Legendary green-lit Dune: Part Two in October 2021. Principal photography took place in Budapest, Italy, Jordan, and Abu Dhabi between July and December 2022.


After being delayed from an original November 2023 release date due to the 2023 Hollywood labor disputes, the film premiered at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square, London, on February 15, 2024, and was released in the United States on March 1, to positive reviews. It set several box office records and has grossed over $712 million worldwide, surpassing its predecessor and making it the second-highest-grossing film of 2024. A sequel based on Herbert's 1969 novel Dune Messiah is in development.

Plot[edit]

Following the destruction of House Atreides by House Harkonnen, Princess Irulan, the daughter of Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, journals about her father's betrayal of the Atreides. On Arrakis, Stilgar's Fremen troops, including Paul Atreides and his pregnant Bene Gesserit mother, Lady Jessica, overcome a Harkonnen patrol. When Jessica and Paul reach Sietch Tabr, some Fremen suspect they are spies, while Stilgar and others see signs of the prophecy that a mother and son from the "Outer World" will bring prosperity to Arrakis.


Stilgar tells Jessica that she must succeed Sietch Tabr's dying Reverend Mother by drinking the Water of Life—a poison fatal for males and untrained women. Her Bene Gesserit training allows Jessica to transmute and survive the poison, inheriting the memories of all the past Reverend Mothers, but the liquid also prematurely awakens the mind of her unborn daughter, Alia, allowing Jessica to communicate with her. They agree to focus on convincing the more skeptical northern Fremen of the prophecy. Chani and her friend, Shishakli, correctly believe the prophecy was fabricated to manipulate the Fremen, but Chani begins to respect Paul after he declares that he only intends to fight alongside the Fremen, not to rule them.


Paul and Chani fall in love as Paul immerses himself in Fremen culture: learning their language, becoming a Fedaykin fighter, riding a sandworm, and raiding Harkonnen spice operations. Paul adopts the Fremen names "Usul" and "Muad'Dib". Due to the continuing spice raids, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen replaces his nephew, Rabban, as Arrakis's ruler with his more cunning and psychopathic younger nephew, Feyd-Rautha. Lady Margot Fenring, a Bene Gesserit, is sent to evaluate Feyd-Rautha as a prospective Kwisatz Haderach and secure his genetic lineage.


Jessica travels south to unite with Fremen fundamentalists who believe most strongly in the prophecy. Paul remains in the north, fearful that his visions of an apocalyptic holy war will come to pass if he goes south as a messiah. During a raid on a smuggler spice harvester, Paul reunites with Gurney Halleck, who leads Paul to the hidden atomic warhead stockpile of House Atreides. Feyd-Rautha unleashes a devastating attack on the northern Fremen, destroying Sietch Tabr, killing Shishakli, and forcing Paul and the survivors to journey south. Upon arrival, Paul drinks the Water of Life and falls into a coma. This angers Chani, but Jessica compels her to mix her tears with the liquid, which awakens Paul. Now possessing clairvoyance across space and time, Paul sees an adult Alia on water-filled Arrakis. He also sees a singular path to victory among all possible futures, and that Jessica is Baron Harkonnen's daughter.


Paul meets with the southern Fremen war council, galvanizing the crowd by demonstrating his ability to discern their deepest thoughts. He declares himself the Lisan al Gaib and sends a challenge to Shaddam, who arrives on Arrakis with Irulan and the Sardaukar. As Shaddam chastises the Harkonnens for their failures, the Fremen launch an offensive, using atomics and sandworms to overpower the Sardaukar. Paul executes the Baron and captures Shaddam and his entourage. Meanwhile, Gurney leads an assault on Arrakeen, intercepting and killing Rabban.


Paul challenges Shaddam for the throne and, to Chani's dismay, demands to marry Irulan. Previously summoned by the Baron, the Great Houses arrive in orbit, ready to invade the planet, but Paul threatens to destroy the spice fields with atomic weapons if they intervene. Feyd-Rautha volunteers to be Shaddam's champion, and Paul kills him in a duel. Irulan agrees to Paul's request for marriage on the condition that her father lives. Shaddam surrenders, but the Great Houses reject Paul's ascendancy, so he orders the Fremen to attack the orbiting fleet. As Stilgar leads the Fremen onto the captured Sardaukar ships, Jessica and Alia reflect on the beginning of Paul's holy war. Chani insolently refuses to bow to Paul and departs alone on a sandworm.