Don’t be fooled by the simple, one-word title, the upcoming “Dune” is really just part one of a planned two-parter that fully adapts the classic sci-fi novel written by Frank Herbert. Unlike David Lynch’s adaptation of the novel back in the ‘80s, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve believes that it’s impossible to accurately bring Herbert’s vision to life in only one film. So, going into the upcoming sci-fi epic, fans should really only expect one-half of the story. That being said, according to one person who worked on the film, just because “Dune” is really only half of the story, it will feel like a fully formed project.
Speaking to Collider, “Dune” cinematographer Greig Fraser spoke about his upcoming sci-fi collaboration with Villeneuve and assured fans that they will get a full “standalone” film in December.
“It’s a fully formed story in itself with places to go,” said Fraser. “It’s a fully standalone epic film that people will get a lot out of when they see it… It was quite an adventure visually. It was a beautiful experience making it. The people involved with it, I was overwhelmed. Some of the actors, as well as being insanely talented actors, are just lovely, lovely people who I’ve become very close to since then.”
Interestingly, Fraser isn’t shooting a sci-fi epic on a faraway desert planet for the first time. Before working on “Dune,” the cinematographer, who previously worked on films such as “Lion” and “Rogue One,” also worked on the “Star Wars” live-action TV series, “The Mandalorian,” which saw its characters venture through deserts. But the cinematographer assured fans that the look of “Dune” and the look of “The Mandalorian” will be different, despite their origins being somewhat linked.
“It was quite fun because I had to forget a lot of ‘Star Wars’ when I was making ‘Dune,’” he revealed. “It wasn’t hard, though. Denis and I spoke clearly about how the film should look and should feel, and the formats and this and that, so it was not hard to swerve and change lanes. There were some similarities like the deserts. I mean listen, ultimately I’m positive George Lucas was inspired by ‘Dune’ when he made ‘Star Wars.’ I don’t know if that’s sacrilegious to talk about, but there are a lot of similarities in some areas, so you could tell he was definitely influenced by that. So I had to be careful doing both [‘Dune’ and ‘The Mandalorian’] and not to repeat myself. Also not just for the sake of the movie, but for fun. I hate to do the same thing twice.”
Obviously, if you’re a fan of both “Dune” and “Star Wars,” the similarities between both stories are readily apparent and there are clear links that suggest Lucas was greatly inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel. But even still, the themes and tone of “Dune” are very different than Lucasfilms’ galaxy far, far away, so it shouldn’t be surprising that the new film will feel unique.
“Dune” is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 18.
