As the old saying goes, behind every great man is a great woman. And Dune‘s Paul Atreides has plenty of strong women in his life to help him achieve his destiny. Warner Bros. has just released a brand new featurette for Dune that shows how the film’s diverse assortment of female characters prepare Paul for his daunting role as Arrakis’ savior. You can check it out for yourself below.
Paul has no shortage of strong male role models, including his father, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), and his swordmaster, Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa). However, the women play a more significant role in guiding Paul for his struggles that lie ahead. As Denis Villeneuve explains in the clip, it was important to showcase this dynamic on the big screen. One of the most important relationships shown is the one Paul has with his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). Jessica instills Paul with some of her own Bene Gesserit training, which automatically sets him on a path toward greatness.
“There are such beautiful moments of balance between mother and son,” said Ferguson. “When the mother trains the son to become what she believes he can become.”
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The clip also takes a closer look at Dune’s gender-flipped version of Liet Kynes, the planetologist played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster. Although she doesn’t think much of Paul or his family at first, she gradually begins to suspect there is more to him than meets the eye. But no other character influences Paul like Zendaya’s Chani, a member of Arrakis’ native Fremen population who appears in his dreams before he even sets foot on her planet.
Dune is now playing in theaters and on HBO Max.
Are you excited to watch how these characters shape Paul’s journey? Let us know in the comment section below!
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