Dune (2021 film)

Dune (titled onscreen as Dune: Part One) is a 2021 American epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. It is the first of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. Set in the distant future, the film follows Paul Atreides as his family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem and David Dastmalchian. The film is the third adaptation of Dune following David Lynch's 1984 film and John Harrison's 2000 television miniseries. After an unsuccessful attempt by Paramount Pictures to produce a new adaptation, Legendary Entertainment acquired the Dune film and television rights in 2016, with Villeneuve signing on as director in February 2017. Production contracts were only secured for the first film, relying on its success before a sequel would be greenlit. Principal photography took place from March to July 2019 at locations including Budapest, Jordan, Norway, and Abu Dhabi. Dune was originally scheduled for a late 2020 release, but it was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The film premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021, ahead of its international release on September 15; it was then released in United States theaters and streaming on HBO Max on October 22. Dune was a box office success, earning $402 million on a$165 million budget. It was well received by critics and audiences, with praise for Villeneuve's direction and screenplay, the visual effects, ambition, costume design, Hans Zimmer's musical score, cinematography, and faithfulness to the source material. The film was nominated for ten awards at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, winning six, and received numerous other accolades.