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  • ‘Dune: Part Three’ Trailer Debut and Press Conference

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    It’s time to return to Arrakis: Warner Bros. Pictures has unveiled the first teaser trailer for ‘Dune: Part Three,’ director Denis Villeneuve’s concluding chapter in the epic cinematic trilogy adapted from the landmark sci-fi novels by Frank Herbert.

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    As you can see from viewing the trailer, ‘Dune: Part Three’ – which is due out on Dec. 18, 2026 and is based on Herbert’s second novel, ‘Dune Messiah’ – is just as immense and immersive a film experience as 2021’s ‘Dune‘ and 2024’s ‘Dune: Part Two,‘ both of which were nominated for best picture at the Academy Awards.

    Just in these two minutes, the screen practically explodes with vast vistas of armies battling in the desert, spaceships rocketing through the void, and Paul ‘Muad’Dib’ Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), the leader of the Arrakis native people known as the Fremen and now emperor of the universe, facing not just the galactic war he has unleashed but the prospect of parenthood with the Fremen warrior Chani (Zendaya).

    (L to R) Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, director Denis Villeneuve, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Javier Bardem at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of 'Dune: Part Three' at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.
    (L to R) Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, director Denis Villeneuve, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Javier Bardem at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of ‘Dune: Part Three’ at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.

    In addition to Chalamet and Zendaya, cast members returning from the first two films include Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck), Javier Bardem (Stilgar), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan), and Jason Momoa, who plays a somewhat different version of his deceased character, Duncan Idaho.

    New cast members include Anya Taylor-Joy as Paul’s mysterious and powerful sister Alia, Isaach de Bankolè as Paul’s former personal fedaykin (commando) Farok, and Robert Pattinson as Scytale, a member of a secretive society known as the Tlielaxu who can mimic any other human’s identity and leads a conspiracy to assassinate Paul.

    Moviefone was present as Denis Villeneuve, Zendaya, Pattinson, Bardem, and Taylor-Joy premiered the trailer for press at an event in Los Angeles, and here’s what we discovered from them about ‘Dune: Part Three.’

    Related Article: ‘Dune’s Denis Villeneuve to Direct the Next James Bond Movie for Amazon

    1) Director Denis Villeneuve Says ‘Dune: Part Three’ Is A Different Movie From The First Two.

    Director Denis Villeneuve at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of 'Dune: Part Three' at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.
    Director Denis Villeneuve at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of ‘Dune: Part Three’ at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.

    Just as the book ‘Dune Messiah’ is not in the same vein as the first novel, ‘Dune,’ Denis Villeneuve hints that ‘Dune: Part Three’ charts its own path.

    Denis Villeneuve: It happens many years later. It’s a very different movie from the first ones. I said to myself, it’s a good idea to come back to this world not by nostalgia, but by urgency, and to go there with a critical eye and not to be self-indulgent. I said to my team that it will be a very different film – a ‘Dune’ movie, but with a different tone, with a different rhythm, with a different base. If the first movie was more a contemplation of a boy exploring a new world, and the second one was a war movie, this one is a thriller. It’s more action-packed and more dense, more muscular than the others, I would say. It takes place many years after the first films — a bit like the book, ‘Dune Messiah’ – and gives us a new view of what has happened to Paul Atreides. It’s 17 years, and we see Paul dealing with the consequences of having too much power, and him trying to figure out how to get out of this cycle of violence. Of course, he’s an emperor who can see the future, so he’s kind of invincible, and we also follow people trying to overthrow him. It’s a quite intense story.

    2) Zendaya got a pre-recorded question from Florence Pugh played for her at the trailer debut event.

    Zendaya at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of 'Dune: Part Three' at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.
    Zendaya at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of ‘Dune: Part Three’ at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.

    Zendaya and Florence Pugh didn’t share the screen much in ‘Dune: Part Two,’ where Pugh’s Princess Irulan was introduced, but the ‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’ star hints that they have more interaction in ‘Part Three.’

    Zendaya: I love Florence Pugh. She’s so talented and so wonderful in this role. On the press tour the last time we were saying that we only got one scene together, and we were far away. So I was like, I hope we get more. I don’t want to tease anything, but she’s absolutely phenomenal and you guys will just have to see for yourself what happens, because it’s quite the journey. I’m so excited. I mean, these movies have meant so much to me over the years. I’ve literally been able to grow up in my entire 20s doing them, so they have such a special place in my heart, and all these people do as well. So I’m very excited and very grateful to be a part of it.

    3) Javier Bardem Says His Character Stilgar Must Face Reality In ‘Dune: Part Three.’

    Javier Bardem at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of 'Dune: Part Three' at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.
    Javier Bardem at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of ‘Dune: Part Three’ at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.

    Javier Bardem’s Fremen fighter Stilgar becomes one of Paul’s most loyal soldiers and believers in the first two ‘Dune’ movies, championing him as the prophesized messiah of his people. But in ‘Dune: Part Three,’ the actor says, Stilgar finds himself in a ‘be careful what you wish for’ situation.

    Javier Bardem: Well, I think it takes him to a place where he sees different realities of what being empowered means after so long. He’s in this contradiction between his loyalty to the idea that he strongly believed and fought for back in the day, and also the result of the idea becoming something that he feels may not be the thing that he dreamed about. It sounds complicated, but it’s also a complicated book, and it’s a great analogy about the idea of power and the reality of having that power, and Stilgar is there in that contradiction.

    4) Anya Taylor-Joy’s Alia Is A Major Character In The Movie.

    Anya Taylor-Joy at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of 'Dune: Part Three' at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.
    Anya Taylor-Joy at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of ‘Dune: Part Three’ at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.

    Glimpsed briefly in ‘Dune: Part Two’ as both a yet-to-be-born baby and a young woman in a vision from the future, Alia Atreides – who has powerful psychic gifts of her own — becomes one of her older brother Paul’s most important allies in ‘Part Three.’

    Anya Taylor-Joy: Alia has a very intense blessing/curse situation. She carries the weight and the wisdom of generations and generations in her head. She’s never in a singular conversation. It’s kind of everything everywhere, all at once. And the one thing that she really feels most strongly about is her love and devotion to her brother, because that is the only person who’s ever made her feel like she makes sense. He’s understood her from before she was even born, and she will do anything for him — to various degrees of insanity.

    5) Robert Pattinson Thinks He Got The Job in ‘Dune’ Thanks To Zendaya.

    (L to R) Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Javier Bardem, Zendaya, and director Denis Villeneuve at the 'Dune: Part Three' trailer event. Photo: Jami Philbrick.
    (L to R) Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Javier Bardem, Zendaya, and director Denis Villeneuve at the ‘Dune: Part Three’ trailer event. Photo: Jami Philbrick.

    ‘The Batman’ star Robert Pattinson is such a fan of the ‘Dune’ films that he asked Zendaya for advice on how to get involved. He ended up playing a shapeshifting, biologically mutated human called Scytale who is a central figure in a plot to overthrow Paul.

    Robert Pattinson: It’s incredible. I absolutely adored these movies. I saw them multiple times in the theaters, and I think I was talking to [Zendaya] on the set of ‘The Drama’ and I was like, ‘How do I get in one of those “Dune” movies?’ And then I got a very unexpected call a few months later, and I kind of think [Zendaya] had something to do with it. But I just think they’re such a towering achievement and the cast is so incredible. I just think everybody wants to work with Denis. He’s a master. When do you see the scope and scale and ambition of these movies on set, you get why they feel like this on the screen. It’s an amazing experience.

    Pattinson adds that his character, Scytale, was fascinating to play because his motivations and goals are ambiguous:

    Robert Pattinson: He’s an unusual character in the book. I mean, you can’t really tell whose side he’s on, which is kind of what makes him quite interesting. I want to say he’s not a conventional bad guy as such. He might even be a good guy. Who knows? I will find out when I see the movie (laughs). It’s an extremely fun character to play, and the look for it is extraordinary.

    (L to R) Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Javier Bardem, Zendaya, and director Denis Villeneuve at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of 'Dune: Part Three' at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.
    (L to R) Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Javier Bardem, Zendaya, and director Denis Villeneuve at the Warner Bros. Pictures, trailer launch event of ‘Dune: Part Three’ at the AMC Century City 15, in Los Angeles, California, March 16, 2026.

    What is the plot of ‘Dune: Part Three’?

    Defeating his enemies on Arrakis and becoming emperor of all known space, superhuman Fremen messiah Paul Atreides grapples with the consequences of unleashing a bloody galactic jihad, even as mysterious and powerful forces conspire to destroy him.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Dune: Part Three’?

    • Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
    • Zendaya as Chani
    • Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
    • Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides
    • Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
    • Robert Pattinson as Scytale
    • Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho
    • Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
    • Javier Bardem as Stilgar
    • Isaach de Bankolé as Farok
    • Nakoa-Wolf Momoa as Leto II Atreides
    • Ida Brooke as Ghanima Atreides
    'Dune: Part Three' opens on December 18th. Photo: Warner Bros.
    ‘Dune: Part Three’ opens on December 18th. Photo: Warner Bros.

    List of Movies and TV Shows in the ‘Dune’ Franchise:

    Buy ‘Dune’ On Amazon

    Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Zendaya as Chani in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Zendaya as Chani in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Jason Momoa as Hayt in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Jason Momoa as Hayt in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Robert Pattinson as Scytale in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Robert Pattinson as Scytale in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Florence Pugh as Empress Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Florence Pugh as Empress Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    A Scene from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Three,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.
    A Scene from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Three,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures.

  • ‘F1 The Movie’ Interview: Javier Bardem and Cast

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    Opening in theaters on June 27th is ‘F1 The Movie’, which explores the world Formula One auto racing. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (‘Top Gun: Maverick’), the film stars Oscar winners Brad Pitt (‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’) and Javier Bardem (‘No Country for Old Men’), as well as Damson Idris (‘Snowfall’), and Kerry Condon (‘The Banshees of Inisherin’).

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘F1 The Movie’ 

    (L to R) Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem star in 'F1 The Movie'.
    (L to R) Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem star in ‘F1 The Movie’.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon and Damson Idris to talk about their work on ‘F1 The Movie’. Condon and Bardem discussed how they approached their characters and filming during real Formula One races, while Idris talked about preparing for the intense driving sequences.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Bardem, Condon and Idris, as well as director Joseph Kosinski, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.

    (L to R) Kerry Condon as Kate and Kim Bonia as Kaspar in Apple Original Films’ 'F1' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Kerry Condon as Kate and Kim Bonia as Kaspar in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Moviefone: To begin with, Kerry, can you talk about your approach to playing Kate and was this a fun character for you to portray?

    Kerry Condon: Yeah, it was of course, because it was a super intelligent character that wasn’t one note. It wasn’t like, “This is the intelligent, nerdy character.” It was like there was lots of different flavors to her that made her more of a real person. I was really encouraged to go with my instinct and bring a lot of my own personality and to have fun too, which was wild to be encouraged to have fun on such a high-pressure job. I was encouraged to enjoy it.

    Javier Bardem as Ruben Cervantes in Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Javier Bardem as Ruben Cervantes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Javier, how did you approach playing your character and can you talk about his relationship with Sonny Hayes?

    Javier Bardem: For me, it was more about the relationship, the love relationship of a friendship with Brad’s character and how much they respect each other, need each other, and despise each other when they’re not in the same page. It was about creating that relationship and bringing it to the screen, for us to understand that at the end of the day, you really must sacrifice yourself to make the team win. All the personal things must be forgotten to make it more about the team.

    Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce in Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Damson, I understand you did your own driving in this film, what was that experience like and how did that help your performance?

    Damson Idris: That was the first thing I asked when I first met with Joe (Kosinski) and Jerry (Bruckheimer), I said, “When you guys did ‘Top Gun’, the actors were in the planes for real, right?” They’re like, “Yeah.” “Are we going to be driving the cars for real?” “Yeah.” I was like, “Oh,” and I put on my poker face. I was like, “I could do that easy,” but growing up I always loved fast cars, so getting in the cars and going through these corners, I knew it was going to be just the most fun. We trained for four months every single day so we could look real on screen. Yeah, it was the best experience. Going from track to track, I don’t think anyone’s ever going to be able to experience what I have. No actor, anyway.

    (L to R) Kim Boonia as Kaspar and Javier Bardem as Ruben Cervantes in Apple Original Films’ 'F1' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Kim Boonia as Kaspar and Javier Bardem as Ruben Cervantes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, Javier, when you shot the racing scenes, they were at real races in front of real Formula One fans. What was that experience like for you performing in front of all those people?

    JB: I remember Silverstone, it was the first day of shooting for me, and Joe and Brad were with the drivers and the planes flying overhead and then the camera will follow them through the whole crowd. We have a conversation, Brad and I in front of thousands of people. That’s a different kind of energy, like a theater play, but seen by thousands of people at the same time. That puts you in a place of really a lot of adrenaline.

    Editorial Note: Krisily Fernstrom conducted this interview and contributed to this article.

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    What is the plot of ‘F1”?

    Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s, has a horrible crash, forcing him to retire from Formula One and start racing in other disciplines. A Formula One team owner and friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), contacts Hayes and asks him to come out of retirement to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP).

    Who is in the cast of ‘F1 The Movie’?

    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    List of Joseph Kosinski Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘F1 The Movie’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Joseph Kosinski Movies on Amazon

  • Movie Review: ‘F1 The Movie’

    Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘F1 The Movie’ receives 10 out of 10 stars

    ‘F1 The Movie’ directed by Joseph Kosinski (‘Top Gun: Maverick‘) opens in theaters on June 27, 2025. The film stars Brad Pitt (‘Fight Club’), Javier Bardem (‘No Country for Old Men’), Kerry Condon (‘The Banshee of Inisherin’), Tobias Menzies (‘Game of Thrones’) and Damson Idris (‘Outside the Wire’).

    Initial Thoughts

    A scene from Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    A scene from Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Director Joseph Kosinski masterfully put together a dream team, both in front of and behind the camera, to deliver a perfectly orchestrated high octane thrill ride that is expertly choreographed. The movie will pull you in and have you at the edge of your seats with excitement and have viewers cheering along with the race fans in the film. With a heartwarming underdog story and plenty of laughs in between, both new and old Formula One race fans will be taken on an adrenaline ride full of excitement.

    Story and Direction

    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    When the trailer for ‘F1 The Movie’ was released, it did an amazing job at building suspense, showing action packed moments and explaining the plot of the film. But in case you missed it, the film follows Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a driver that is known as a bit of a reckless cowboy who never quite made it but appears to not have a care in the world, even if he is known as “the greatest that never was.” When Sonny’s old friend Ruben (Javier Bardem), a former driver turned team owner, is about to lose his team he turns to Sonny for help, offering him one last shot at being the best driver in the world. The pressure is on, and Sonny holds the fate of the entire team as well as the ego filled, up and coming driver and his Formula One teammate Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), in the palm of his hands. Keeping viewers in suspense all while waiting to discover if he will be able to save the team or if he will blow it all up to pieces.

    When we meet Sonny he is leaving a race and seems to live moment to moment, without a care in the world, always heading to the next race. After deciding to join Ruben’s team, Sonny is the black sheep always moving to the beat of his own drum and not quite meshing with the extremely well-oiled pit and tech crew of the APXGP F1 team. Butting heads with the team’s technical director Kate (Kerry Condon), who has her own points to prove is fun to watch, but it’s the rival tension between Sonny and Joshua Pearce that becomes the driving force of what could make or break the fate of the entire F1 crew and the film itself.

    A scene from Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    A scene from Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Putting together the perfect crew of his own, Kosinski brings the same action-packed intensity he gave viewers with ‘Top Gun: Maverick” this time trading fighter jets for F1 cars and once again putting viewers directly in the driver’s seat. Working seamlessly with F1 creating an authentic experience for F1 fans, while also teaching a master class on F1 for viewers who don’t know anything about the sport was just one of the highlights of Kosinski’s excellent direction.

    Taking a story about a team about to lose everything and carefully weaving the lives and careers of two drivers that couldn’t be more different is where the film builds an entirely different sort of tension and experience that every movie fan will utterly enjoy. Each morsel of information or backstory given feeling as if it was earned by trust, making you feel as if you are part of the process, like a gift from the film to its viewer.

    But it is in the third act of the film that Kosinski’s craft of perfection is truly shown to its fullest. Taking powerful and action-packed adrenaline-fueled driving sequences and carefully sewing them between emotionally driven heart tugging moments that will keep viewers at the edge of their seats with bated breath. Putting both Brad Pitt and Damson Idris in the drivers seat of an actual Formula One car at 200 MPH, may have been a risk, but the payoff was the reward of once again delivering audiences both extraordinary action sequences with an authentic and visceral F1 experience.

    Performances

    (L to R) Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Brad Pitt gives a brilliant performance as Sonny Hayes, he is the perfect fit as the icon, the rough and tumble cowboy driver who has nothing and everything to lose. Pitt has been known for his love of both driving and speed over the years and looks completely comfortable in the driver’s seat even at top speeds. His performance in the final sequence of the film is what had the potential to make or break the film as a whole, and he met it with passion and brilliance that left a long lasting impression.

    Damson Idris nails the cocky and arrogant, while still wet behind the ear’s teammate Joshua Pearce. He brought emotion and depth to an extremely layered character and held his own in every scene. Kerry Condon was perfection as the team’s first female technical director who’s lost her confidence and feels like she has something to prove. And the scenes of her character sparring with Pitts character were always enjoyable.

    But there is something about Javier Bardem’s performance that to me ties everything together on an emotional level in the end that stands out on its own and should be applauded. Because in the end it’s all about the love of driving.

    Final Thoughts

    (L to R) Javier Bardem as Ruben Cervantes and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ 'F1', a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    (L to R) Javier Bardem as Ruben Cervantes and Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1’, a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Photo by Scott Garfield. Courtesy Warner Bros Pictures / Apple Original Films. Copyright: © 2025 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    When you think about what they did to achieve the authenticity of this film it is absolutely extraordinary. They took an idea and a story and to make that a reality they quite literally embedded an entire film crew into a F1 season on every track, in every country all while maintaining the integrity of a sport. They put actors in F1 cars at top speeds alongside F1 drivers and crews, with F1 fans in the stands. All to give viewers the ride of their lives. They took shots in minutes that most movies take a day just to set up. The sheer magnitude of that alone should have movie fans everywhere lining up to see this film on the big screen.

    Kosinski alongside producer Jerry Bruckheimer (‘Top Gun: Maverick’) and seven-time Formula 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton took every vital step and then some to give audiences the most authentic and what Pitt calls “the most visceral driving experience that’s ever been put on film.” With an almost nostalgic feel of the best action movies of the 80’s and 90’s paired with an incredible and at times heart pumping score from Hans Zimmer paced perfectly in every scene, ‘F1 The Movie’ is everything I want in a movie going experience and should be experienced in the theatre.

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    What is the plot of ‘F1”?

    Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s, has a horrible crash, forcing him to retire from Formula One and start racing in other disciplines. A Formula One team owner and friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), contacts Hayes and asks him to come out of retirement to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP).

    Who is in the cast of ‘F1 The Movie’?

    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ 'F1,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ ‘F1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

    List of Joseph Kosinski Movies:

    Buy Tickets: ‘F1 The Movie’ Movie Showtimes

    Buy Joseph Kosinski Movies on Amazon

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  • ‘F1’ Trailer Press Conference: Joseph Kosinski and Lewis Hamilton

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    The new trailer for ‘F1’ dropped today, and you can watch it above.

    Scheduled to open in theaters on June 25th is the new film ‘F1’, which takes place in the world of Formula One racing. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (‘Top Gun Maverick’), the movie stars Brad Pitt (‘Once Upon a Time in Hollywood’), Damson Idris (‘Snowfall’), Kerry Condon (‘The Banshees of Inisherin’), and Javier Bardem (‘No Country for Old Men’).

    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ 'F1,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ ‘F1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.

    Related Article: Brad Pitt to Reunite with ‘Fury’ Director David Ayer for Wilderness Survival Thriller ‘Heart of the Beast’

    Earlier this week, Moviefone had the pleasure of attending a virtual press conference, along with other members of the press, for ‘F1’ featuring director Joseph Kosinski, and a video introduction from Lewis Hamilton, producer and Formular One World Champion.

    Here’s what Kosinski and Hamilton had to say about making ‘F1’.

    The Champion Speaks

    The press conference began with an introduction from Formula One World Champion race driver Lewis Hamilton, who is also a producer on the film.

    “Joe (Kosinski), Jerry (Bruckheimer), Brad (Pitt), the cast and the whole filmmaking team put an incredible amount of effort to deliver a genuine Formula One racing experience, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before on screen. As you may have heard, the film was shot during the F1 races over the course of a season, and with Joe at the helm, audiences around the globe are going to feel like they’re on the track and in the driver’s seat.”

    Hamilton went on to discuss working with Brad Pitt and his commitment to the project.

    “Watching Brad drive around speeds over 180 miles an hour was impressive to see because it’s not something you can just learn overnight. The dedication and the focus that Brad put into this process has been amazing to witness. This film has got it all. Brad Pitt, speed, thrills, an epic underdog story, drama, humor, and a little bit of romance.”

    Finally, Hamilton expressed his pride in the film and promised something for Formular One fans and non-fans alike.

    “You may even recognize some familiar faces from the world of Formula One racing. As someone who’s dedicated his whole life to this sport, I’m so honored to have worked alongside this team of actors and filmmakers. This has been such a thrill for me. I genuinely promise this film delivers on every level.”

    Why Formula One?

    After Hamilton’s introduction, director Joseph Kosinski discussed why he wanted to make a movie about Formula One racing.

    “Well, I think like a lot of people during Covid, I found myself starting to watch the races and found this great television show called ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’. I found that it’s an incredibly unique sport in that your teammate is also your, in many ways, your greatest competition. For me, that makes for a great drama. I also loved how the first season of the show focused on the last place teams, the underdogs rather than the Ferrari, the Mercedes, the Red Bull, the teams that you see at the front of the pack. I thought that there was an interesting story to be told about an underdog team trying to not win the championship, but just trying to win one race against these titans of the sport. So that’s where it started. Lucky for me, I had a contact who was in Formula One that I could reach out to, so I did.”

    Commitment to Authenticity

    Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ 'F1,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films.
    Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films.

    Kosinski discussed what steps he took to make sure the race scenes looked as authentic and accurate as possible.

    “Well, the first thing I did was I reached out to Lewis Hamilton who gave that incredible intro, and obviously he lives that sport every day. He’s one of the greatest of all time and I asked him to be my partner on making this film. So having Lewis gave me this incredible in into this world, and one of the people he introduced me to was Toto Wolf, the team principal of Mercedes. I started talking with them about wanting to capture the speed of this sport, and It was actually Toto who came up with the idea of rather than making a movie car fast enough to achieve these speeds, but he said, “Why don’t you start with a race car and take a real race car and then work the cameras that you need into that”. So, we did that. We bought six F2 cars, real F2 race cars and worked with Mercedes AMG, the Formula One team and their engineers to build real race cars that could carry our camera equipment recorders and transmitters for making this film. So, every time you see Brad or Damson driving in this movie, they’re driving on their own in one of these real race cars on a real F1 track. So that’s kind of how we approached the making of this film.”

    Kosinski also talked about the research he did to prepare for the movie.

    “It’s one of the nice benefits of making a movie about Formula One is a lot of research, a lot of travel, and I got to see amazing tracks all over the world. One thing I really love about Formula One is every race has its own character and every weekend it’s very different. We end the film in Abu Dhabi, which is this incredible track that is just a spectacular way to end the film. But every track has its own personality, its own character, and because we went to all these places for real, you really feel like you’ve gone around the world when you watch the movie.”

    Shooting the Racing Scenes

    Coming off the success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, Kosinski explained how that movie prepared him for this film and how he was able to capture the incredible Formula One race scenes and bring that excitement and action to the big screen.

    “I mean, the big challenge was just the camera system itself. We had to develop a brand-new camera system taking everything we learned on ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and pushing it much further. You can’t put 60 pounds of gear onto a race car and expect it’s going to perform the same way. So, we took those ‘Top Gun’ cameras and we worked closely with Sony, sizing them down to something about a quarter of the size. Then on top of that, something I really wanted to do on this film was to be able to operate and move the cameras while we were shooting, which was something we couldn’t do on ‘Top Gun’. So, we have motorized mounts on the car as well. So, you have transmitters that are transmitting the picture back. We’ve got transmitters controlling the movement of the camera. I’m sitting at the base station with Claudio (Miranda), our cinematographer looking at 16 screens. I’ve got camera operators on the controls for the cameras and it’s calling out. The Camera moves like a live television show while they’re shooting. So much research and technology and development went into just being able to roll a frame of footage in addition to the training for the actors and the logistics of shooting at a real race. So, it was a lot of prep to be able to pull this off.”

    Kosinski shot some scenes during real Formula One Championship races and explained the complications of trying to execute those scenes in a small window of time.

    “I mean, the tracks, the locations are one thing, but on race weekend, it just becomes this whole different world. It’s like a traveling circus. So, we couldn’t just shoot at the track without the race going on. It would’ve been the wrong dynamic. So, we were there on race weekend with hundreds of thousands of people watching us finding these slots between practice and qualifying, that Formula One graciously afforded us. So, we’d get these 10- or 15-minute slots where we’d have to have Brad and Damson ready in the cars, warmed up with and ready to go, and as soon as practice ended, they would pull out onto the track. We’d have 24 to 30 cameras ready, rolling, and I’d have to shoot these scenes in these very short, intense, high-speed windows. But the crowd you’re seeing was there in the stands. I don’t think the crowd realized that Brad Pitt was in the car that was in front of them. So, there was this heightened quality to every race. We were also shooting dramatic scenes on the grid before races, so it was a unique way of working rather than having a whole day to shoot a scene like you normally would on a movie. We had these 9- or 10-minute slots, so it was like a live stage play, but in front of hundreds of thousands of people shooting at 180 miles an hour, literally. So, it was an adrenaline rush every weekend, but what we captured is something you can’t fake, you can’t stage. it was like game day. I remember our first day shooting at Silverstone (racetrack) with Javier (Bardem), Brad and Tobias Menzies. I literally had a piece of paper with, it looked like an American football diagram of where everyone had to stand and walk and where you had moved to. It was like we looked at it and it was like, break, let’s go do this. I think we got three takes in seven minutes or something and got what you see in the film. But the actors, you feel that in their performance, they know it’s like, we’re not going to get 15 tries at it. You got to nail it.”

    Driving School

    'F1' opens in theaters on June 27, 2025.
    ‘F1’ opens in theaters on June 27, 2025.

    Actors Brad Pitt and Damson Idris had to learn to drive real Formula One cars for the film and Kosinski discussed how Hamilton helped in their training.

    “Brad and Damson are both driving in this film and to get them into these race cars, it required months, literally months of training. But the first day was fun. It was me, Brad and Lewis Hamilton at the track together, all of us jumping in cars and driving each other around in sports cars. Which was one of those things, I’ll never forget having Lewis Hamilton as your driving instructor. But what we learned and what Lewis was really interested was seeing did Brad know how to drive right? Because if Brad can’t drive, this whole film wasn’t going to work. What Lewis was very happy to discover was that Brad had a lot of just natural ability right from the start, and I don’t know where he got that or if he was born with it, but he rides motorcycles, which I think has something to do with it. He’s just a very talented, naturally blessed driver, which for Lewis, gave him a lot of confidence that we might have a shot at pulling this off. He just had that natural feel for grip in the car and what we’re doing on this film is dangerous. So yeah, you must be fearless, and when you see Brad driving, that’s not acting. He’s really concentering on keeping that car on the track and out of the wall during all those scenes. So that’s something that you just can’t fake, I think. I hope the audience feels that when they watch the movie.”

    Finding the Right Story

    The director talked about how important it was to find the right script and unique characters for ‘F1’.

    “It always starts with a great script and a great story. I knew that no matter how accurate or exciting the racing is, it doesn’t mean anything if you’re not telling a story supported with great characters. So, it all starts with the script, and I worked with Ehren Kruger, who also worked on ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. He wrote an incredible script for us to start with. This story has everything. It has the tension you would expect in a movie like this with all the action, but at the same time, there’s real heart here, especially in the story of Sonny Hayes and this kind of redemption journey he’s on. There’s humor in there, there’s some romance, there’s a little bit of everything that you need to tell a fully fleshed out rich story like this.”

    The Cast

    (L to R) Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in 'F1'. Photo: Warner Bros. and Apple Original FIlms.
    (L to R) Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in ‘F1’. Photo: Warner Bros. and Apple Original FIlms.

    The director also discussed his exceptional cast and what it was like to work with Oscar winners Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem.

    “The most important thing a director does beyond developing the script is casting. Casting is everything. The group of actors that we pulled together for this film is incredible. Javier Bardem and Brad together, their friendship, which is an old one- three decades old, really is the core of this story and of this film and just seeing them together on screen is special. Kerry Condon, she’s incredible. She plays the team technical director, so she’s the person in charge of designing the car and the engineers and the drivers. There’s some healthy tension there on every team, and it makes for a great relationship between the two of them. Then Damson Iris, who people might know from his television career (‘Snowfall’), but maybe not from the movies. I’m really excited for people to see him here going toe to toe with Brad on a big screen and a big story. So, we have an incredible cast of supporting actors as well. It’s a great ensemble.”

    Is ’F1’ for Racing Fans Only?

    “Not at all,” answered Kosinski and the director went on to assure audiences that they don’t need to be Formula One fans to enjoy the movie.

    “This is a movie about friendship, teamwork, sacrifice, and redemption. The story I think is universal. It’s just set in this incredibly exciting world of Formula One, and if you are a Formula One fan, I think you’re going to like this movie. If you don’t know anything about Formula One, I think you’re going to like this movie and you might come out wanting to watch some races or maybe even go to a race. So yeah, you don’t need to know anything going in. We’ll teach you everything you need to enjoy this story.”

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    What is the plot of ‘F1”?

    Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s, has a horrible crash, forcing him to retire from Formula One and start racing in other disciplines. A Formula One team owner and friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), contacts Hayes and asks him to come out of retirement to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP).

    Who is in the cast of ‘F1’?

    'F1' opens in theaters on June 27, 2025.
    ‘F1’ opens in theaters on June 27, 2025.

    List of Joseph Kosinski Movies:

    Buy Joseph Kosinski Movies on Amazon

  • Javier Bardem to Star in ‘Cape Fear’ TV Adaptation

    (Left) Javier Bardem stars as Hector P. Valenti in Columbia Pictures ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.' (Right) 1991's 'Cape Fear'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (Left) Javier Bardem stars as Hector P. Valenti in Columbia Pictures ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile.’ (Right) 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Preview:

    • Javier Bardem will star in and produce a new ‘Cape Fear’ series for Apple TV+
    • Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg are executive producers.
    • Nick Antosca is running the show.

    Fun movie fact: back in the late 1980s, directors Martin Scorsese and Steven Spielberg were developing movies that would become memorable for them both. But here’s the twist… the movies were ‘Cape Fear’ and ‘Schindler’s List,’ and Spielberg was interested in the former, while Scorsese was figuring out the latter.

    One quick switch later and 1991 brought us ‘Cape Fear,’ Scorsese’s take on the 1957 John D. MacDonald book ‘The Executioners.’ In 1993, Spielberg brought us ‘Schindler’s List’ to Oscar-winning effect.

    Now, both filmmakers are involved with a new take on the former project, as Apple TV+ has flashed the greenlight for a series adaptation of the novel, with Javier Bardem aboard, according to Deadline.

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    What’s the story of ‘Cape Fear’?

    (L to R) Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte in 1991's 'Cape Fear'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    (L to R) Robert De Niro and Nick Nolte in 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    MacDonald’s book has been adapted before –– a 1962 film, which also changed the name to ‘Cape Fear,’ and was directed by J. Lee Thompson from storyboards devised by original director Alfred Hitchcock.

    That version starred Gregory Peck and Polly Bergen as a lawyer and his wife threatened by newly-released convict Max Cady (played by Robert Mitchum).

    In Scorsese’s movie, Nick Nolte and Jessica Lange were the couple, while Robert De Niro (shocker!) was Cady.

    For the TV series, described as “a tense, Hitchcockian thriller and an examination of America’s obsession with true crime in the 21st century,” a storm is coming for happily married attorneys Amanda and Steve Bowden when Max Cady (Bardem), a notorious killer from their past, gets out of prison.”

    Anyone who has seen ‘No Country for Old Men’ or even ‘Skyfall’ knows that Bardem can play a memorable, dangerous villain.

    Related Article: Oscar Winner Javier Bardem Talks ‘Lyle, Lyle, Crocodile’

    Who else is working on the ‘Cape Fear’ TV series?

    Martin Scorsese arrives on the red carpet of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024.
    Martin Scorsese arrives on the red carpet of the 96th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre at Ovation Hollywood on Sunday, March 10, 2024. Credit/Provider: Mike Baker ©A.M.P.A.S. Copyright: ©A.M.P.A.S.

    The new show will be run by Nick Antosca, who credits include ‘The Act,’ ‘Antlers,’ ‘Candy,’ and most recently, overseeing the ‘Chucky’ small screen series.

    Apple has been developing the show for a while, but even with Scorsese and Spielberg’s backing, the show hasn’t been official until Bardem signed on to play Cady.

    And the actor will also be seen in next year’s big Apple movie, ‘F1’ alongside Brad Pitt. That film is scheduled to arrive on June 25th.

    When will the ‘Cape Fear’ TV series be on screens?

    Apple has only just greenlit the show thanks to the addition to Bardem, so release details are a ways off for now.

    Robert De Niro in 1991's 'Cape Fear'. Photo: Universal Pictures.
    Robert De Niro in 1991’s ‘Cape Fear’. Photo: Universal Pictures.

    Other Martin Scorsese Movies:

    Buy Martin Scorsese Movies on Amazon

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  • Where To Watch Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune: Part Two’

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    The next chapter in Paul Atreides’ story takes shape in ‘Dune: Part Two’, and is now available on VOD, with the home release coming in May 2024.

    Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, the follow-up to the 2021 ‘Dune’ was originally slated to release on October 20, 2023. However, the film was delayed due to the WGA and SAG strike. The film finally premiered on March 1, 2024. ‘Dune: Part Two’ received positive reviews from critics and audiences alike.

    With ‘Dune’ taking home five Academy Awards, including Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Orignal Score, and Best Production Design, it is very possible to see ‘Dune: Part Two’ snagging nominations for the 2025 awards season.

    The sequel welcomes new cast members Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, and Anya Taylor-Joy.

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    Where Can I Watch ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Did you miss the epic sci-fi sequel on the big screen? You’re in luck. The movie is now available on VOD for rent or purchase, so you can watch it from the comfort of your couch, no sandworms necessary.

    Buy Tickets: ‘Dune: Part Two’ Movie Showtimes

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ has a runtime of 2 hours and 47 minutes. As of April 16, 2024, the movie was made available to rent for $24.99 or purchase for $29.99 on VOD platforms such as Apple TV, Prime Video, Google Play, YouTube, and Vudu. Apple TV includes over 100 minutes of bonus content included in the digital version. Take a deeper look at the character of Dune, the Freman language, sandworm-riding, costumes, music, and more.

    Where to Watch: ‘Dune: Part Two’

    The Next Chapter For ‘Dune’

    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Rebecca Ferguson on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Rebecca Ferguson on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,” a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    With ‘Dune: Part Two’ raking in over $637 million at the global box office, what is next for ‘Dune’? In a conversation with Entertainment Weekly in 2021, Director Denis Villeneuve says he’s “always envisioned three movies.” to fully round out the Paul Atreides story. He has also mentioned that a script for the third movie is in the works.

    “I always envisioned three movies. It’s not that I want to do a franchise, but this is ‘Dune,’ and ‘Dune’ is a huge story. In order to honor it, I think you would need at least three movies. That would be the dream. To follow Paul Atreides and his full arc would be nice.”

    Filming a sci-fi epic is no easy task, and the director mentions the possibility of taking a break between ‘Dune: Part Two’ and ‘Dune: Messiah’. However, the third film, ‘Dune: Messiah’ is in active development.

    Related Article: Director Denis Villeneuve Talks ‘Dune: Part Two’ Casting and Production

    When Can I Get ‘Dune: Part Two’ On Blu-Ray?

    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ will be released on DVD, Blu-Ray, and 4K UHD on May 14th. Collectors can also look forward to a 2-film collection from Target. The home release will feature over an hour of bonus content:

    • Creating the Freman World
    • Chakobsa Training
    • Worm-riding
    • Deeper into the Desert: The Sound of Dune
    • And more

    Buy ‘Dune: Part Two’ On Amazon

    Watch the final trailer for ‘Dune: Part Two’ below:

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    The official synopsis for ‘Dune: Part Two’ is below:

    Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.

    Who’s In the Cast of ‘Dune: Part Two’

    Zendaya as Chani in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Zendaya as Chani in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.
    Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Dune: Part Two:’

     

  • ‘Dune: Part Two’ Exclusive Interview: Denis Villeneuve

    Director Denis Villeneuve on the 'Dune: Part Two' global press tour.
    Director Denis Villeneuve on the ‘Dune: Part Two’ global press tour. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Opening in theaters on March 1st is the long-awaited sequel to 2021’s ‘Dune,’ entitled ‘Dune: Part Two,’ which is once again co-written and directed by Denis Villeneuve (‘Blade Runner 2049‘).

    In addition to returning cast members Timothée Chalamet (‘Wonka’), Zendaya (‘Spider-Man: No Way Home’), Rebecca Ferguson (‘Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One’), Josh Brolin (‘Avengers: Endgame’), Stellan Skarsgård (‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’), Dave Bautista (‘Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3’), and Javier Bardem (‘Skyfall’), the sequel also features Austin Butler (‘Elvis’), Florence Pugh (‘A Good Person‘), Léa Seydoux (‘No Time to Die’) and Christopher Walken (‘Batman Returns’).

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with acclaimed filmmaker Denis Villeneuve about his work on ‘Dune: Part Two,’ the decision to split the book into two movies, pacing challenges, changes he made to the source material, shooting the sandworm scenes, utilizing black and white imagery, and casting Austin Butler and Florence Pugh in their pivotal roles.

    Related Article: Movie Review: ‘Dune: Part Two’

    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Timothee Chalamet on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Timothee Chalamet on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Moviefone: To begin with, even after making the decision to split the first book in half and make two different movies, there is a lot of Frank Herbert’s story left to tell. Can you talk about the challenges of finding the right tone and pacing for this sequel, especially with the addition of new characters this time around?

    Denis Villeneuve: I think it’s a good question. First, it was important for me that the movie would be kind of autonomous, meaning that someone who has not seen ‘Dune’ could still enjoy ‘Part Two.’ So, we gave enough hints at the beginning of the story to make sure that it was kind of autonomous. Of course, it’s a better journey if you have seen ‘Dune,’ but I tried that. That was one of the first challenges. Then it’s a story that is quite different than the last movie. In ‘Dune,’ we follow a boy that is discovering a world and is getting in contact with a new culture. It’s a boy that will be victim of the events, that will try to survive an attack, but he doesn’t have any control. It’s a much more contemplative, meditative movie. ‘Part Two,’ that boy becomes a man, a leader, a fighter, and he wants to avenge his father. It’s more of an action movie, so it has a different rhythm, a different pacing that I had to find in the screen writing at first. But still, it was very important for me to take the time to put on the screen as much of the Fremen culture as possible. That’s my favorite thing about the book. That is one of the main reasons I insisted making two movies instead of one, because I wanted to have the necessary amount of time to dig a little in the culture to see the rituals, to see the way the people are praying, the way they are eating, the way that they train, the way the people are and their survival techniques in the desert. I’m grateful that I had enough time at the beginning of the film to express that.

    Zendaya as Chani and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Zendaya as Chani and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Can you talk about some of the changes you made to the source material, particularly expanding the role of the female characters?

    DV: Yeah, it’s fundamental. It’s crucial to the success of the movie. The idea here is that it all starts with Frank Herbert being disappointed by the way people perceived the first book. He realized that people thought that the first book was a celebration of a hero, a celebration of Paul Atreides and he wanted to do the opposite. He wanted the first book to be a cautionary tale, a warning against charismatic figures and to correct that, to bring precisions about his intentions, he wrote a tiny book called ‘Dune Messiah’ that is a kind of an epilogue that is like a last chapter of Paul Atreides’ journey. Knowing that fact about Frank Herbert and having read of course ‘Dune Messiah,’ I decided to make my live adaptation. I decided to be more faithful to Frank Herbert than to the book and what I did is I used both the two female characters which are Chani and the mother, Jessica. Both characters in the second part of the book disappear, they go more in the background. They are under the shadow of Paul, and they disappear. I gave both strong lines, a dramatic arc and a precise agenda, making them two eminent characters. That’s one of the big differences. Chani is a very important character. She allows me to have a critical distance with Paul. She allows me to have perspective on Paul’s transformation and from Chani’s perspective. The movie goes in the direction that Frank Herbert wanted his book to.

    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Can you talk about casting Austin Butler and Florence Pugh in their pivotal roles?

    DV: First, Florence, of course I knew Florence from her work and I’m a big fan of Florence. I thought of her first for it and when I met her, it was clear, after a few minutes of our meeting that I was in front of Princess Irulan. I wanted to create a character that will have inner strength and that will never be perceived as a victim. I wanted an actress that could convey only with the way she’s listening. I wanted someone with a strong presence that the audience could see just in the way she was witnessing events or listening to other characters, that they feel her presence on her own journey, but she’s more of a witness in this story. Of course, if there’s a ‘Dune Messiah’ as we plan, she’ll become one of the prominent characters of that whole series. I’m doing a bit of what I did with Zendaya in the first movie. I introduced Chani in ‘Dune’ and then she becomes one of the main characters in ‘Part Two.’ I do the same with Florence, I just introduced her in ‘Part Two’ and if there’s a ‘Dune Messiah,’ she becomes one of the main characters. For Austin, I was very curious about Austin, having seen him in a few movies, specifically the Quentin Tarantino movie, ‘Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood,’ and learning more about this actor that I found quite riveting. Baz Luhrmann shared with me some scenes from ‘Elvis’ and was raving about him. I met with Austin, and I was very impressed by him. I knew that someone who could bring Elvis to the screen the way he did could almost do anything and what he did for that movie is incredibly difficult. So, I knew that he could have all the qualities that I was looking for Feyd-Rautha, but it was a gamble. When I saw him, with all the makeup and in costume, I knew I had made the right choice, but casting, it’s all about very strong intuitions. You do a camera test, but no matter how much we are sold on it, it’s always when you start rolling camera on the first take that you know. With both actors, I was floored, like, “Oh, they nailed it.” They had big shoes to fill because I think those characters are iconic characters in the novel, both Princess Irulan and Feyd-Rautha and they had tremendous pressure on their shoulders. I’m very proud of them.

    Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Can you talk about the choice to introduce the Harkonnen home world and in particular Feyed-Rautha in black and white?

    DV: The idea came from the book. One of the aspects that I love in the book is the idea that, the book is a study of the impact of the ecosystem on human beings, all from the nature of the ecosystem, the human developed religions, techniques, and ways of survival, all their culture, we are the product of our environment and when you want to know about the Fremen, you just look at the desert and it will inform you about the native people. I love this idea and I tried, for Giedi Prime, the home world of Harkonnen, there’s less information in the book and it’s a world that is disconnected from nature. It’s a plastic world. So, I thought that it could be interesting if the light, the sunlight could give us some insight on their psyche. What if instead of revealing colors, the sunlight was killing them and creating a very eerie black and white world, that will give us information about how these people perceive reality, about their political system, about how that primitive brutalist culture and it was in the screenplay. (Cinematographer) Greig (Fraser) was tremendously inspired by that, and we were making tests. I wanted a black and white that would seem alien and coming from another world, a sunlight that we have not seen in cinema. Greig came up with this idea of infrared which I absolutely loved, and we shot the movie that way. The only thing is that when you film this way, there’s no way back. I said, “You have to know that. Okay, we are doing this and there will be no way back. So, we cannot put color after it’s over.” That’s the thing I love about (producer) Mary Parent is that she’s good, she does not operate by fear, and she supported the idea one hundred percent.

    A scene from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    A scene from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Finally, can you talk about executing your vision for the sandworm riding scenes and did the final version end up looking the way you had imagined?

    DV: Absolutely. It’s a scene that I didn’t want to make any compromises. I really wanted to bring the images that were in my mind when I was a boy reading the book. I put a lot of pressure on my crew too and we took the time, but it was very challenging. It’s the most difficult scene I’ve ever done technically, but I’m very lucky I was able to find the right tools to first figure out the Fremen technique. How do you jump on the worm actually? Because it’s very basic, the book does not really explain how to do it, so I wanted to find a way that will look plausible. Then once I found the technique, I had to figure out for myself how to bring that to life. I came up with a theory of how to shoot this and that to my great relief it worked out. The thing is that I wanted to shoot everything as much as possible on camera with natural light. So, it meant that it really required a tenuous amount of time, and it required also some technology that we had to design to create different worms. I was very keen to the fact that the studio embraced my ambition.

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    What is the plot of ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    With the planet Arrakis and its valuable spice now firmly in the grip of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his depraved minions, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) seek revenge against the Harkonnens for the destruction of the Atreides family. Striking from the hidden depths of the desert alongside the planet’s native people, the Fremen, Paul also begins to realize that he may be the powerful leader foretold in ancient prophecies.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    • Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
    • Zendaya as Chani
    • Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
    • Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
    • Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
    • Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
    • Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen
    • Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
    • Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring
    • Javier Bardem as Stilgar
    • Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV
    Timothee Chalamet and Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Timothee Chalamet and Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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    Buy ‘Dune’ On Amazon

     

  • Movie Review: ‘Dune: Part Two’

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    In theaters March 1st is ‘Dune: Part Two,’ starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgård, Léa Seydoux, Javier Bardem, and Christopher Walken.

    Related Article: Denis Villeneuve says a Third ‘Dune’ Movie Should be His “Last”

    Initial Thoughts

    Just when you thought that director Denis Villeneuve couldn’t make a bigger science fiction epic than 2021’s ‘Dune’ (aka ‘Dune: Part One’), he completes his adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel in spectacular, often mind-blowing fashion. Everything about ‘Dune: Part Two’ expands the scope of the story, which can be confusing from time to time but still manages to be both rousing and unsettling.

    Story and Direction

    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    At the end of ‘Dune: Part One,’ the House Atreides – stewards of the planet Arrakis and its valuable, consciousness-altering ‘spice’ – was destroyed and Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac) murdered by the grotesque Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his evil minions. Only Leto’s son Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Paul’s mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) have seemingly survived, fleeing into the desert where they fall into the hands of the planet’s Indigenous people, the Fremen.

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ picks up these story strands immediately, and as a result it might take you a bit of the first act to get up to speed (a quick rewatch of the first movie might help as well). As Paul and his mother learn the ways of the Fremen, and Paul grows close to a Fremen warrior named Chani (Zendaya), the Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem) grows more and more convinced that Paul is the messiah of the Fremen people foretold by an ancient prophecy.

    What Stilgar doesn’t know — or denies — is that the prophecy was seeded on Arrakis by the Bene Gesserit, an all-female religious order that has practiced selective breeding for eons to produce the messiah, known to the Bene Gesserit as the Kwisatz Haderach. Beset by increasingly dire visions thanks to his consumption of spice, Paul does not want to embrace the role seemingly given to him: not only does he know that his mother, a member of the Bene Gesserit, was involved in the order’s machinations, but he sees a future in which his leadership leads to billions of deaths across the universe.

    Dave Bautista as “Beast” Rabban Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Dave Bautista as “Beast” Rabban Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    At the same time, as the Fremen under Paul’s leadership strike the Harkonnens’ operations and bring spice production to a standstill, the Emperor of the Universe (Christopher Walken) puts pressure on Baron Harkonnen to find the Fremen leader and destroy him. Frustrated with his nephew Rabban’s (Dave Bautista) failed attempts, Harkonnen enlists his other nephew, Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), a psychotic human malignancy who intends to destroy Paul and the Fremen with him, with higher ambitions on his diseased mind as well.

    The summary above doesn’t even quite scratch the surface of the complexity of the story in ‘Dune: Part Two,’ and if this massively immersive and entertaining film does have a flaw, it’s probably that the movie occasionally suffers from some pacing and editing issues that can make the plot confusing from time to time. But this is a relatively minor issue: ‘Dune: Part Two’ and its mix of far future sci-fi, mysticism, political intrigue, and ecological themes is gripping from the start.

    Like the novel itself (a dense, multilayered read), the screen version of ‘Dune’ doesn’t operate on simple levels of good and evil. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides is truly conflicted about the future he sees for himself and the universe, and only a series of shocking revelations toward the end of the film push him to finally accept his destiny – but when he does, there are unsettling hints that the Fremen and the Bene Gesserit should have been careful what they wished for all these centuries.

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    In the end, even though it’s set more than 8,000 years in the future (when humankind now lives among the stars), ‘Dune’ can depressingly remind us that even millennia from now, the human race could still be subject to the same weaknesses and actions that seemingly doom us now: insatiable greed, lust for power, hedonistic impulses that border on the depraved, and our apparently indefatigable urge to subjugate not just other humans but the very world we share and live on (some sequences chillingly echo events happening in the world today).

    But don’t get us wrong: this is a sober, grandiose film, but not a somber meditation on the evils of men. ‘Dune: Part Two’ is at its heart a space opera, and a magnificent one. The viewer is completely drawn into the world of Arrakis and the other planets from the first frame. There has perhaps never been a science fiction film that so completely transports the viewer across time and space like this one (and its predecessor) does.

    Villeneuve’s direction is assured throughout – even if certain plots strands aren’t quite as fleshed out as they should be – aided by Greig Fraser’s cinematography, the sound and production design, and Hans Zimmer’s powerful score. The battles are staged on a massive scale, and if you enjoyed your glimpse of the sandworms in the first movie, you’ll get your money’s worth here. This is a film that demands to be seen on the big screen, even in its most surreal, intimate moments.

    A Cast To Be Reckoned With

    Zendaya as Chani and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Zendaya as Chani and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Much of the cast of ‘Dune: Part One’ returns for the sequel, with the notable exceptions of Oscar Isaac and Jason Momoa, both of whose characters died in the first film. As Paul, Timothée Chalamet truly comes into his own just as the character does; the scenes in which Paul accepts that he is the ’Lisan al-Gaib’ (the Fremen terms for ‘offworld messiah’) are absolutely electric. Chalamet sells both Paul’s physical prowess and expanding mental abilities with gravitas and strength.

    Just as electrifying is Rebecca Ferguson, who excels in film after film (see her in ‘Doctor Sleep’ sometime) and yet doesn’t seem to get the recognition she constantly deserves. Her Lady Jessica also undergoes a transformation of her own here, although on a different level than that of her son, and Ferguson portrays this powerful woman with nuance and subtlety.

    Javier Bardem’s Stilgar is considerably fleshed out in this film, both as a passionate follower in the grip of religious fervor and as a surprisingly and welcome harbinger of some sly comic relief. Zendaya’s Chani also gets more to do this time, with the character both softening as she slowly falls for Paul and yet hardening at the same time as she realizes what his ascent could portend for Arrakis.

    Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    The new addition to the cast who will undoubtedly get quite a lot of ink is Austin Butler, fresh off his Oscar win for ‘Elvis’ and going in a completely different direction here, with his pale, corpse-like pallor, completely hairless head, and black, soulless eyes. Feyd-Rautha is so vicious that his brother Rabban and his uncle Baron Harkonnen – not to mention Emperor Shaddam IV (played as an exhausted yet still merciless tyrant by Christopher Walken) – are rightly afraid of him, and Butler projects a reptilian cold-bloodedness that is unnerving.

    All the other returning and new players in the star-studded ensemble – Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Josh Brolin, and more – have smaller roles but all bring their A-game. Long gone are the days when science fiction movies didn’t demand top-notch acting all around.

    Final Thoughts

    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Timothee Chalamet on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    (L to R) Director/Writer/Producer Denis Villeneuve and Timothee Chalamet on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2024 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    As directors like Denis Villeneuve, Christopher Nolan, Alex Garland, and others push both original sci-fi projects and adaptations of landmark genre works to the screen, we may be living in a mini-Golden Age for science fiction cinema. And with ‘Arrival,’ ‘Blade Runner 2049,’ and now both parts of ‘Dune’ taking up much of his last decade of work, Villeneuve is unquestionably leading the charge with more to come (‘Dune: Part Two’ ends on a note that all but confirms that he will complete the tale with ‘Dune Messiah’).

    With ‘Dune’ especially, not only does he respect the source material and is largely faithful to it, but he understands why the story itself has hung around for decades: it has a mythological potency and universal themes even as it expands our view of what the far future could look like. The entire ‘Dune’ project is serious filmmaking that embraces the scale and depth of a genre that wasn’t taken very seriously by Hollywood for years. ‘Dune: Part Two’ will challenge you intellectually and emotionally — even as its colossal and often genuinely weird imagery blows your mind clear out of your skull.

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ receives 8.5 out of 10 stars.

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    What is the plot of ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    With the planet Arrakis and its valuable spice now firmly in the grip of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and his depraved minions, Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson) seek revenge against the Harkonnens for the destruction of the Atreides family. Striking from the hidden depths of the desert alongside the planet’s native people, the Fremen, Paul also begins to realize that he may be the powerful leader foretold in ancient prophecies.

    Who is in the cast of ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    • Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
    • Zendaya as Chani
    • Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
    • Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
    • Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
    • Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
    • Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen
    • Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
    • Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring
    • Javier Bardem as Stilgar
    • Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV
    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Other Movies Similar to ‘Dune: Part Two:’

    Buy ‘Dune’ On Amazon

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  • ‘The Little Mermaid’ Blu-ray Interview: Colleen Atwood

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    Available on Disney+ and Digital now and premiering on 4K, Bu-ray and DVD beginning September 19th is the live-action adaption of ‘The Little Mermaid,’ which was directed by Rob Marshall (‘Mary Poppins Returns’).

    What is the plot of ‘The Little Mermaid?’

    Ariel (Halle Bailey), the youngest daughter of the kingdom Atlantica’s ruler King Triton (Javier Bardem), is fascinated with the human world but mermaids are forbidden to explore it. After saving Prince Eric (Jonah Hauer-King) from a shipwreck and falling in love with him, she becomes determined to be with him in the world above water. These actions lead to a confrontation with her father and an encounter with the conniving sea witch Ursula (Melissa McCarthy), making a deal with her to trade her beautiful voice for human legs so she can discover the world above water and impress Eric. However, this ultimately places her life (and her father’s crown) in jeopardy.

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    Who is in the cast of ‘The Little Mermaid?’

    Costume designer Colleen Atwood at "The Little Mermaid Enchanted Celebration" on September 15th.
    Costume designer Colleen Atwood at “The Little Mermaid Enchanted Celebration” on September 15th. Photo credit: Dan Steinberg for Walt Disney Studios.

    Moviefone recently had the pleasure of speaking with four-time Oscar-winning costume designer Colleen Atwood (‘Chicago,’ ‘Alice in Wonderland‘) about her work on ‘The Little Mermaid,’ her process, her longstanding working relationship with director Rob Marshall, designing the look of the mermaids, working closely with the VFX department, taking cultural inspirations for the costumes, and revisiting the animated classic, as well as a tease of the costumes she created for Tim Burton’s upcoming sequel, ‘Beetlejuice 2.’

    Costume designer Colleen Atwood at "The Little Mermaid Enchanted Celebration" on September 15th.
    Costume designer Colleen Atwood at “The Little Mermaid Enchanted Celebration” on September 15th. Photo credit: Dan Steinberg for Walt Disney Studios.

    You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interview.

    Moviefone: To begin with, can you take us behind the scenes and explain your process as a costume designer? When you come on to a project and read the script for the first time, where do you go from there?

    Colleen Atwood: Well, I read the script and I talk to the director, in this case, Rob, and we talk about what he’s seeing for the movie. In this case, because the people that were building the environment, the art department had started quite a bit before me because of the time it takes to do all that. So I met with him in LA, and we met where the art department was beginning to build the world. So we met there, and he walked me through that. Then we talked about colors and ideas, and I told him I liked the ideas of Seven Sisters from the Seventh Seas, each one having a different fish for their character. As well as all my ideas of what I was thinking with King Triton, and we just kind of walk through it. But not the entire cast at that point in history is always in place at the beginning. But we knew it was Halle Bailey, and Rob knew who he wanted for the other parts, but they weren’t in place yet. So I started with her. I started figuring out the different worlds along with the costumes, not just for the main characters, but how the costumes at the castle looked, what the reflection of the costumes in the village is, so I had an overview of the whole movie. Then as I got characters, I could dial them into it, which is a good way to work, because you know where you’re going with it, in a less kind of random matter. Rob comes from theater, so that process of preparation is something he really understands, which is so advantageous to costume.

    Cinematographer Dion Beebe, Director Rob Marshall, and Producer John DeLuca on the set of Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid.'
    (L to R) Cinematographer Dion Beebe, Director Rob Marshall, and Producer John DeLuca on the set of Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo by Giles Keyte. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: You’ve worked with director Rob Marshall before, did that make the process of working on ‘The Little Mermaid’ a little easier because you have a shorthand with him and understand his tastes and what he might want?

    CA: Yeah, there’s a lot of trust there between us. It’s fun always when you work with somebody to self-challenge, because you kind of know what they’re going to be like, and then you try to find something that you haven’t kind of plugged into before that could work too. So it’s kind of a parallel blessing, but it really is a good way to push yourself to another level as a designer, because you can get comfortable, but you want to be better. So that was kind of my challenge with him.

    Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid.'
    Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Related Article: Halle Bailey and Jonah Hauer-King Talk Disney’s ‘The Little Mermaid’

    MF: Can you talk about the look of the mermaids and designing their costumes?

    CA: Well, the actual costumes themselves, as far as the undersea costumes, were virtual. So I sat with a computer artist and designed them. I did tails that were the right scale so they had reference, and I made fabrics that looked like fish scales to get the colors and the textures right. But I really sat with one guy, and he and I did it together because I don’t have the skills to do digital design. But it was a whole other world for me. Then as we got real people into the facsimiles of the costumes, because we did bits, we realized things that were challenges, like we didn’t really want to do seashell bras on real people, because it always looks kind of hanky. So we ended up figuring it out, but making the transition between skin and scale was a big deal because it can look not beautiful, so you didn’t want them to be that, you want them to be beautiful. So we came up with the little fin things that kind of transition in between to separate it, and then kind of a glow on the skin that might be a scale, but you don’t really see scales all over the body. When you do digital design with a lot of dudes, they go in the creature direction real quick. So we got some really interesting first passes on stuff, but we really dialed all that down. I really wanted to keep also the idea of sisters in mind, but they were all within a younger, more youthful point of view in how they looked and what their body shapes were and all that.

    Melissa McCarthy as Ursula in Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid.'
    Melissa McCarthy as Ursula in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: You’ve been a costume designer for almost 40 years and the industry has changed a lot over that time, particularly with technology and the way movies are made. Can you talk about how your approach to costuming has changed due to technology? Have you ever worked this closely with the VFX department on a project before?

    CA: Well, I worked with VFX fairly closely on the ‘Alice in Wonderland’ movies because they were really early days, and we had a lot of challenges. In that case, I ended up making the real costumes because they were above ground, and then making them do different things to make the head look bigger and the body smaller and things like that. So that technology has evolved in a really different way. I did the ‘Fantastic Beast’ movies, which had a lot of that in it. So I’ve been paralleling the visual effects evolution since ‘Mars Attacks!’ It’s been a long time. So I’ve been parallel learning that as I go along, and learning the tricks to make it better for costume. That’s been a really fun challenge, and it’s pretty amazing, the stuff they’ve done to make fabrics look better, because it used to be really flat, and now it has more dimension. But I made actual fish scale fabric for them to reference so I could control how that would manifest itself digitally. There’s certain shadings and surface treatments and things like that that can make it look better. I think because I have done it before and seen it, that I’ve learned a lot, and it’s a learning curve. It really is.

    Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid.'
    (L to R) Jonah Hauer-King as Prince Eric and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo by Giles Keyte. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    CA: Can you talk about the cultural inspirations you used to create the costumes for the human world?

    CA: Well, it was interesting in a very tricky area. I really took the reference of the time period of the castle. The time period of the castle was set in a sort of early 1800s vaguely, but no nail down date, so I sort of plugged in to 1830-1840 when people started coming to the Caribbean that weren’t from there, to settle and build so-called castles. But the big influence for me was the shapes that came from that period, but the materials came more from the land in which we were inhabiting, which wasn’t necessarily the case in real history at all. So I departed history very quickly, because I wanted the colors to be reflective of the ocean and the environment. So the castle, for me, was like dried coral and different corals with the faded colors and the textures of corals. So I kind of used the materials of the ocean to influence the costumes in their design. The men’s costumes there, I made all out of pale textured linen. In that period, they didn’t make clothes out of that stuff. So it was really fun to make the shapes of a period but in different materials, and create your own magical world in that way that people could kind of connect with. Then the village had a really festive, under the sea kind of coral flowing colors, and that kind of life in contrast to the elitist coral castle. So that kind of was how I pulled it together.

    Scuttle (voiced by Awkwafina), Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney's live-action 'The Little Mermaid.'
    (L to R) Scuttle (voiced by Awkwafina), Flounder (voiced by Jacob Tremblay), and Halle Bailey as Ariel in Disney’s live-action ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Photo courtesy of Disney. © 2023 Disney Enterprises, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    MF: Were you a fan of the original ‘The Little Mermaid,’ and did you use the animated movie as a reference for the costumes and look of the film?

    CA: I was a fan, but not like my kids were fans. I was a little bit of an older person. I wouldn’t have a ‘Little Mermaid’ wedding. But Rob’s take on things, it’s always like a different journey with him. He totally changes everything up so well. But we did want to pay homage to the known entity of a character as beloved as ‘The Little Mermaid.’ So you don’t think, “Oh, I’m going to not do ‘The Little Mermaid.’ Why do that? It’s done.” Instead, we just embraced the colors, the energy of her, the red hair, the colors of the tail the lilac bought us and all that, but reinvented it in a way that was more human, more today and kind of youthful. In doing that with the reference of all the different fishes from the seas, I was kind of playing with the culture within the fish costumes, which was limited, you could only do a certain amount because of what they were, but you could definitely give a spontaneity in the placement of where the fins were, which could kind of relate to a samba skirt, or a kimono, or whatever that was. The Indian mermaid had a one shouldered one, and the Thai mermaid had a little bit of an Asian design to her costume. So it all was sort of related, but not in a big obvious way.

    Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988's 'Beetlejuice.'
    Michael Keaton as Betelgeuse in 1988’s ‘Beetlejuice.’

    MF: Finally, I understand that you were working on ‘Beetlejuice 2’ with Tim Burton before the strikes shutdown production. Can you give us a little tease of the costumes fans can expect to see when that movie is eventually released?

    CA: Well, as always, you can’t get away from the homage to the original. So there’s that, but there’s a whole next level and layer of fun costumes that are totally not tech costumes, but real, and all the things that go with that. Low tech as opposed to high-tech. So I think It’s going to be really fun for people to see. The art’s in the movie. Tim’s an artist first and foremost, and that art is really present in this ‘Beetlejuice.’ I think people are going to love it.

    'The Little Mermaid' is available on Digital now, and will be available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD September 19th.
    ‘The Little Mermaid’ is available on Digital now, and will be available on 4K, Blu-ray and DVD September 19th.

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    ‘The Little Mermaid’ is produced by Walt Disney Pictures, Lucamar Productions, and Marc Platt Productions. It is set to release in theaters on May 26th, 2023.

  • Denis Villeneuve Wants to Make Third ‘Dune’

    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Veilleneuve on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures
    Director/Writer/Producer Denis Veilleneuve on the set of Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    At the moment, most of the news about ‘Dune: Part Two‘ has been bad. That’s because studio Warner Bros., concerned that the ongoing actors’ strike affects the opportunity for stars such as Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Florence Pugh to do press and promote it via red carpet premieres, has decided to delay the movie to next year.

    Yet director Denis Villeneuve remains confident in his follow-up to 2021’s ambitious science fiction epic and is in fact making early plans for a third movie.

    Which is perhaps not too shocking since there is plenty of material. Author Frank Herbert, on whose ‘Dune’ the movies are based, continued the story of Arrakis in a series of subsequent novels, before his son Brian took over to continue it even further. The sand, therefore, is far from running out.

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    What did Villeneuve say about a potential third Dune?

    'Dune Part Two' CinemaCon 2023 Presentation and Press Line, April 25th. Photos By Eric Charbonneau.
    ‘Dune Part Two’ CinemaCon 2023 Presentation and Press Line, April 25th. Photos By Eric Charbonneau.

    While the first two movies adapt the original ‘Dune’ book, a third would target ‘Dune Messiah’.

    Talking with Empire, the director said this:

    “If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream. Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of ‘Dune’] is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning. After that the books become more… esoteric.”

    Sounds like he’ll be done with ‘Dune’ after any third film. Which, given the time and effort he put into the first two, is understandable, especially given all the delays (pandemic for the first, strikes for the second).

    And in case you’re wondering whether this is just a filmmaker speculating, Villeneuve confirms that there are “words on paper” for a third movie. Likely not a script (given the writers’ strike) but at least an idea.

    Related Article: Warner Bros. is Delaying ‘Dune: Part Two’ and More to March 2024 as Strikes Continue

    What’s the story of ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warne
    Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ adapts the second half of Herbert’s novel and keeps the focus on Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). He is, as you recall, the scion of House Atreides, whose father Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) was ordered by the Emperor of the galaxy to take over running Arrakis, the desert planet from where the various space-going people mine valuable spice to help their navigators guide vessels.

    It was, of course, part of a plan between the violent, cruel Harkonnen (led by Stellan Skarsgård’s Baron) and the Emperor to destroy the Atreides.

    The new movie picks up the story after Paul and his mother Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) flee into the desert following the devastating attack on the Atreides base by Harkonnen and Imperial forces. Paul is destined to rise as a spiritual and military leader of the native Fremen and lead an attack against the Harkonnen and the scheming Emperor.

    Who is in ‘Dune: Part Two’?

    Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

    Alongside Chalamet and Ferguson, we’ll see the return of Josh Brolin (who plays Atreides war master Gurney Halleck, another survivor of the attack) and Skarsgård, along with Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen, AKA “The Beast”.

    On the Fremen side, we’ll get to properly meet Zendaya’s Chani, a Fremen warrior who haunted Paul’s dreams and visions long before he ever met her, and who is destined to become the great love of his life. And Javier Bardem’s Stilgar, leader of the Fremen people, who will work with Paul to attack the Harkonnen.

    New this time? Florence Pugh, who plays Princess Irulan and Christopher Walken as her father, Emperor Shaddam IV.

    On the Harkonnen side, there is the cunning, weapon happy Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, played by ‘Elvis’ Austin Butler.

    ‘Dune: Part Two’ will (hopefully) be in theaters on March 15th, 2024.

    Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure 'Dune: Part Two,' a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
    Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures’ action adventure ‘Dune: Part Two,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo Credit: Niko Tavernise. Copyright: © 2023 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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