Preamble

Well, it’s been a while since I’ve blogged about a trailer. But it feels fitting that my return to this style of post should be for a teaser that I was genuinely excited to watch. As my previous posts have documented, I adore Dune (from the book series to Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation). So, my anticipation for Part Two is sky high. But hype levels aside, have you had a chance to watch the teaser trailer for Dune: Part Two? Let me know in the comments below.

Brief Thoughts on a Trailer

In the middle of the teaser for Dune: Part Two, Javier Bardem’s Stilgar solemnly advises to Paul Atreides (ahead of attempting to ride a Sandworm) to “Be simple.” This ethos applies to teaser as a whole as it uses simple, but effective techniques to hook the audience.

The first point of interest was the footage of Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan. In the novel, many of her observations about Paul Atreides (that often are short sentences proceeding a chapter) are akin to a historical document for this central figure in the Dune universe. In the context of the trailer, they’re a snap shot of how history will remember the fall of House Atreides, contrasted with Jessica’s warning to Paul about his father not believing in revenge.

With this in mind, the theme of the teaser seems to be how Paul carries on after the betrayal of his family on Arrakis. In a sense, he does come to embody his father’s mission of cultivating desert power aka the Freman by getting them to rise up against the Imperium who have held them under their boot for too long.

Elsewhere, the colour palette of certain sections of the teaser really impressed me. In particular, the monochromatic arena battles featuring the new antagonist Feyd Rautha (Austin Butler) were wonderous in their dreamlike quality. In fact, the first shot we see of Feyd after Irulan says “What if Paul Atreides is still alive?” suggests that the character is a dark mirror of the newly minted Duke Paul Atreides.

Featuring the same music as previously used in trailers for the first Dune movie (including the chill inducing use of choral to reveal the title), the teaser for Dune Part Two captivates with arresting imagery and a brief sense of its new players. I have high hopes for this one. The sequel hits UK cinemas on November 3rd.