Dune 2’s Runtime Proves Just How Big A Mistake The Original Movie Made

Dune: Part Two’s runtime is a testament to how big of a mistake David Lynch’s original movie adaptation was. The handling of Dune’s canon, originating from author Frank Herbert’s critically acclaimed science fiction epic of the same name, hasalways been quite a lofty hurdle to tackle due to the sheer size of its complex storyline. Set in a feudal interstellar society in the distant future, Dune tells the story of a young Paul Atreides as his house accepts stewardship over Arrakis, the most important planet in the universe and the source of the invaluable drug, Melange.

Despite the massive undertaking, hopefuls intending to adapt Herbert’s epic on big or small screens have cropped up across the decades to varying degrees of success. Previously, David Lynch’s 1984 Dune was the only feature film attempt to adapt the Dune novel to fruition but faced difficulties in reconstructing what has been dubbed one of the most complicated books to adapt. However, the canon’s newest feature film director, Denis Villeneuve, successfully cracked the code with his extended series of Dune films, which provide a lot more space for Herbert’s phenomenal canon and prove what went wrong with Lynch’s endeavor.

Dune 2’s Runtime Confirms It Could Never Work As One Movie (Like David Lynch’s Version)

The Dune sequel was a first for Villeneuve, as he’d never directed a sequel to any of his movies – however, doing so with Dune: Part Two was a striking indication of his ingenious approach to the canon’s extensive narrative. Villeneuve thoroughly depicted the epic over a series of lengthy features, both of which have a combined runtime that exceeded Lynch’s version by far. Part One had a 2-hour and 35-minute runtime, and Dune’s sequel waseven longer at 2 hours and 46 minutes, which ultimately suggests that Lynch’s handling of the canon wouldn’t have ever worked out as one movie.

For a better frame of reference, Lynch’s movie was 2 hours and 17 minutes long and famously failed to cram the contents of Herbert’s story into its short runtime. Overall, Lynch’s installment was considered a lackluster retelling of the vast and carefully constructed universe in Herbert’s novel, and consequently, even Lynch disowned the 1984 Dune attempt. Villeneuve smartly capitalized off of parsing Dune’s narrative, not just in separate movies but films of considerable length, affording every aspect of Herbert’s canon with the time and the space to reach its fullest potential.

Why Dune 2’s Long Runtime Was So Necessary For The Story

Villeneuve’s Dune duology was able to draw out the canon’s storyline steadily and indulgently in a majorly faithful manner. Dune: Part One only covered a portion of Herbert’s novel, which provided Villeneuve’s Dune series with ample time to develop the sci-fi epic’s cast of characters, immense setting, and complicated religious and feudal systems. Even still, though, the intricacies of Herbert’s dense epic required Villeneuve to make changes in Dune: Part Two and his original movie to fit everything that he felt necessary to include while transforming the complex written material into the confines of a visual format.

Dune: Part Two’s extended runtime thus afforded Villeneuve the ability to remain as faithful as possible to the canon’s general tone, character, and story arcs and the time to ensure the changes made to the duology were consistent and consummated by the sequel’s end. Villeneuve’s overall approach impressed audiences and critics and, despite the gamble of alterations made in the sequel to Herbert’s classic, Dune Part: Two’s scale of success is undeniable. Between its impressive box office numbers and critical reception, Dune: Part Two is a testament to Herbert’s canon needing the time and deliberation to work onscreen.

Dune: Part Two

Dune: Part Two is the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 film that covers the novel’s events by Frank Herbert. The movie continues the quest of Paul Atreides on a journey of revenge against those who slew his family. With insight into the future, Atreides may be forced to choose between his one true love and the universe’s fate. 

Release Date

March 1, 2024

Studio(s)

Legendary Pictures

Distributor(s)

Warner Bros. Pictures

Budget

$122 Million