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Beginnings are delicate times, and so is the lead up to any major science fiction or fantasy blockbuster’s release in 2021. None so much as Dune. The latest Dune trailer reveals a lot about the ambitious film’s plot, from Fremen raids to sandworm attacks to the heart of Harkonnen power. However the most exciting moment for hardcore Dune fans might not have been a snippet of a battle or seeing Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) go all “Water of Life” among the Freman. Nope, the part that’s making this Dune megafan squee the most is Oscar Isaac‘s “Daddy” moment with Timothée Chalamet‘s Paul Atreides. Sure, it’s the ovary-exploding stuff that dreams are made of, but the tender father/son chat has a deeper and more profound meaning for the mythos of Dune than you might realize…
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is a lavish adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel of the same name. The book is set thousands of years in the future, when humanity has conquered the stars thanks to the powers of a mysterious substance known as the spice mélange. The spice is the most important currency in the universe. It powers interstellar space flight and heals most illnesses. It even can give some humans who ingest a ton of it unnatural abilities, like heightened awareness, psychic ability, and quicker intellects. The catch is that spice is only found on one planet in the entire universe: the desert planet Arrakis, nicknamed Dune. And controlling it, and the spice trade, is both an honor and a huge onus for the major feudal houses that rule the galaxy. (Oh, and Dune has its own native population, the Fremen. So that’s complicated!)
Dune‘s story focuses on House Atreides, a noble family tasked with taking over control of Arrakis from the villainous House Harkonnen. Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac) is considered a great leader, but his Achilles’s Heel is his family. He is madly in love with his consort, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), a Bene Gesserit who was only sent to his court to seduce him for religious and political reasons (which we’ll get to). And he is fiercely devoted to his son, Paul (Timothée Chalamet). That’s something that the latest Dune trailer takes pains to highlight.
At about 2:24 minutes into the trailer, Paul says, “Dad, what if I’m not the future of House Atreides?” As the trailer cuts back to Paul and his mother running from a sandworm on Arrakis, Duke Leto says, “A great man doesn’t seek to lead. He’s called to it. But if your answer is ‘no,’ you’ll still be the only thing I ever needed you to be: my son.”
Now it’s a sweet moment of a loving father telling his kid that, no, it’s okay if he can’t follow in his footsteps. Being himself is enough. And yet, this scene is so much more than that.
One of the very confusing things for Dune newbies is the whole Bene Gesserit/Kwisatz Haderach stuff. To put it simply, the Bene Gesserits are a sect of holy women with mystical powers who offer guidance to the male leaders of this universe. They are seductive, maternal, sneaky, and dangerous. But their true goal isn’t political power. It is using centuries, if not millennia, of genetic breeding to create the ultimate man, known as the Kwisatz Haderach.
So what does this have to do with this sweet father and son moment? (Heavy sigh) Well, the Bene Gesserit believe they are close to breeding the Kwisatz Haderach. By their calculations a daughter of the Atreides line has to wed a son of their rivals, the Harkonnens. That will not only end the political feud, but merge the bloodlines just so the Kwisatz Haderach will be born in the next generation.
Remember how we said Lady Jessica, Paul’s mom, was sent to House Atreides to seduce Duke Leto? Well, she was supposed to have a daughter. (YES, THE BENE GESSERIT CAN CONTROL THE SEX OF THE BABIES IN THEIR WOMB. SUCK IT, SCIENCE.) Clearly, she did not. She defied orders and gave Duke Leto the kid he wanted…a son. This not only means that the feud between the houses can’t be fixed, as the Harkonnens only have male heirs, but that millennia of careful breeding could be ruined. Just because Duke Leto wanted his sweet baby boy.
What’s striking about this simple exchange in the Dune trailer is that it doesn’t just subtly convey this information, but it does so with true emotional power. Past adaptations have understood the pressure Paul feels taking up the mantle of leadership or even how torn he feels between his father’s legacy and mother’s ambitions. But this trailer hints that Villeneuve’s version of the story will lean hard into the human emotions of the tale. After all, that’s why the book has remained such a beloved classic. Not purely for sandworms or stillsuits, but because the characters feel real.
Oscar Isaac’s Dune daddy moment gives this Dune fan hope this adaptation might finally get the spirit of the book right.
Dune premieres in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22.
