Based on Frank Herbertās seminal best-selling novel of the same name, the big-screen adaptation of DUNE, starring TimothĆ©e Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and more, streams first on HBO GO from December 25.
BEYOND FEAR, DESTINY AWAITS
Set thousands of years in the future, DUNE tells the story of Paul Atreides, a young man propelled by fate into an intergalactic power struggle. The son of beloved, embattled ruler Duke Leto and powerful warrior priestess Lady Jessica, Paul will be given the ultimate test: to conquer his fear when fateāand powerful unseen forcesāpull him inexorably to the sands of the remote planet Arrakis.
Arrakisāhome to an indigenous human civilization called the Fremen and known to these natives as Duneāhas been fiercely contested for generations. Humanity fights for control of the Spice, a rare, highly valued, mind-expanding natural resource upon which space travel, knowledge, commerce and human existence all rely. But those seeking to harvest the Spice must survive the planetās inhospitable heat, hurricane-strength sandstorms, and monolithic sandworms that are justly feared with the kind of reverence usually reserved for Gods.
Academy Award nominee Denis Villeneuve directed DUNE based on a screenplay by Jon Spaihts, Villeneuve and Oscar winner Eric Roth (āForrest Gumpā). Villeneuveās imagining of the namesake novel for the big screen fully immerses the audience in a profoundly moving story of Paulās coming of age set against family rivalries, tribal clashes, social oppression and ecological disaster on the unforgiving, austere planet, creating a fantastical cinematic experience that is both epic and intimate.
āTo me, āDuneā is a psychological thriller, an adventure, a war movie, a coming-of-age movie. Itās even a love story,ā remarks Villeneuve, who at last is able to fulfil his lifelong dream of bringing the landmark work with its complex mythology to life. āThereās a reason the book stayed on my shelf, beside my bed, all those years.ā
ASSEMBLING AN OTHERWORLDY CAST
When it came to casting, Villeneuve and the producers assembled an astonishing list of actors to fill the coveted roles. āTo my great pleasure, most of my first choices were available and willing to embark on this journey with me,ā Villeneuve said.
The film stars Academy Award nominee TimothĆ©e Chalamet (āCall Me by Your Name,ā āLittle Women,ā āThe French Dispatchā), Rebecca Ferguson (āStephen Kingās Doctor Sleep,ā āMission: Impossible ā Falloutā), Oscar Isaac (the āStar Warsā franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (āMilk,ā āAvengers: Infinity Warā), Stellan SkarsgĆ„rd (HBOās āChernobyl,ā āAvengers: Age of Ultronā), Dave Bautista (the āGuardians of the Galaxyā films, āAvengers: Endgameā), Stephen McKinley Henderson (āFences,ā āLady Birdā), Zendaya (āSpider-Man: Homecoming,ā HBOās āEuphoriaā), Chang Chen (āMr. Long,ā āCrouching Tiger, Hidden Dragonā), David Dastmalchian (āBlade Runner 2049,ā āThe Dark Knight,ā āThe Suicide Squadā), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (āRogue One: A Star Wars Story,ā Netflixās āSex Educationā), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (ā45 Years,ā āAssassinās Creedā), with Jason Momoa (āAquaman,ā HBOās āGame of Thronesā), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (āNo Country for Old Men,ā āSkyfall,ā āThe Little Mermaidā).
BUILDING A UNIVERSE
Once the filmmakers had a blueprint that fully captured the breadth and depth of the story, they had to determine how to best accomplish the feat of putting it all on film.
Behind the scenes, Villeneuve assembled an all-star lineup of Academy Award-winning and nominated artisans, reteaming with two-time Oscar-nominated production designer Patrice Vermette (āArrival,ā āSicario,ā āThe Young Victoriaā), two-time Oscar-nominated editor Joe Walker (āBlade Runner 2049,ā āArrival,ā ā12 Years a Slaveā), two-time Oscar-winning visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert (āFirst Man,ā āBlade Runner 2049ā), Oscar-winning special effects supervisor Gerd Nefzer (āBlade Runner 2049ā), makeup and hair designer/makeup department head Donald Mowat (āThe Little Things,ā āBlade Runner 2049ā); Oscar-winning supervising sound editor Mark Mangini (āMad Max: Fury Road,ā āBlade Runner 2049ā) and Oscar-nominated supervising sound editor Theo Green (āBlade Runner 2049); Oscar-winning re-recording mixer Doug Hemphill (āLast of the Mohicans,ā āBlade Runner 2049ā) and two-time Oscar-nominated re-cording mixer Ron Bartlett (āBlade Runner 2049,ā āLife of Piā). He also collaborated for the first time with Oscar-nominated director of photography Greig Fraser (āLion,ā āZero Dark Thirty,ā āRogue One: A Star Wars Storyā); three-time Oscar-nominated costume designer Jacqueline West (āThe Revenant,ā āThe Curious Case of Benjamin Button,ā āQuillsā) and costume designer Robert Morgan; and stunt coordinator Tom Struthers (āThe Dark Knightā trilogy, āInceptionā). Oscar-winning and multiple Oscar-nominated composer Hans Zimmer (āBlade Runner 2049,ā āInception,ā āGladiator,ā āThe Lion Kingā) created the score.
DUNE was shot on location in Hungary, Jordan, Abu Dhabi and Norway.
Stream DUNE from December 25, only on HBO GO. Subscribe to HBO GO online at www.hbogoasia.ph or the mobile app via the App Store or Play Store on your device for as low as ā±99.70/month. Or access HBO GO via Cignal, Globe and Skycable. HBO GO is also available on Android TV, Apple TV, LG TV and Samsung Smart TV ā and comes with AirPlay and Google Cast functionality.