The biggest movie of 2024 is coming to streaming in just days.
Dune: Part Two, the top grossing film of the year to date will make its streaming premiere on Max next week. The film continues — but maybe doesn’t conclude — director Denis Villeneuve massive adaptation of Frank Herbert’s epic sci-fi novel. Nearly the entire cast from the previous film returned, including Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney, and Dave Bautista as Beast Rabban. They were joined by new additions Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Christopher Walken as the Emperor of the Universe.
Part Two of Dune picks up exactly where the first film left off, and sees Paul Atreides settle with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis, and lead a rebellion against the forces of House Harkonnen that destroyed his family. Doing so brings Paul ever closer to fulfilling a prophecy the Fremen believe in about a messiah coming to destroy their oppressors — but fulfilling that prophecy could also lead to countless deaths, which would all be on Paul’s conscience.
READ MORE: Our Interview With Dune Director Denis Villeneuve
So far, Dune: Part Two has grossed $281 million in the United States and over $710 million worldwide, making it the biggest box-office hit of the year. That made me happy; as I wrote in my review…
It took a while, but Villeneuve managed to make Dune: Part Two, reassembling his cast and creative team to conclude Paul Atreides’ transformation from inexperienced kid to battle-hardened warrior-prophet. It was worth the wait. Looking back on my earlier review, I find that all its critical hosannas — “the future it conjures feel so complete and tactile that some segments play like a documentary of the world to come,” “totally clear in its premise, politics, and operatic sci-fi story,” “filled with the sort of epic grandeur of vision that Dune fans always insist makes the original text special” — apply equally well here.
Dune: Part Two will premiere on Max on May 21 — one week from today as of this writing.
