Entertainment

Dune First Look Reveals Timothee Chalamet As Paul Atreides

Dune is all set to break the internet. The first look at the movie gives us a glimpse at Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides through a still image. According to Vanity Fair that sources the image, Paul is at Caladan, the home planet of the Atreides family before ships descend (seen in the background) to take them to the desert planet of Arrakis. In addition to the image, Chalamet also talks about what drew him to the role.

Dune Still 1 Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides on Caladan

Viewers familiar with Frank Herbert’s 1965 highly influential science-fiction novel Dune (and there are many) may recall that the Atreides family sets course for Arrakis that is home to the spice Melange. Among its many properties include the ability to fuel space travel, making it a highly sought after commodity. The rival family Harkonnens await Paul’s parents – father Duke Leto of Atreides and Lady Jessica played by Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Fergusson respectively, before a bleak fate awaits them.

Speaking about playing Paul, Chalamet exclaims that in addition to finding the world-building interesting, he’s intrigued by his character going on an anti-hero journey of sorts. Where other heroes embrace adventure, Paul resists it, believing he still has time to step into his father’s footsteps.

The immediately appealing thing about Paul was the fact that in a story of such detail and scale and world-building, the protagonist is on an anti-hero’s-journey of sorts. He thinks he’s going to be sort of a young general studying his father and his leadership of a fighting force before he comes of age, hopefully a decade later, or something like that.

The still image appears to be taken moments before the Atreides family depart for Arrakis This marks the first bit of official marketing we’ve seen from the movie, not counting the leaked set photos a while back. With its muted color palette, grim and serious aesthetic, it also gives us some sense of what to expect in terms of visual language from Villeneuve’s Dune, which seems like it could be in line with some of his previous offerings.

Dune is set for release on December 18, 2020. It is directed by Denis Villeneuve of Prisoners, Sicario and Blade Runner 2049 fame and features a stellar ensemble cast including the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.