The sci-fi adventure film “Dune” released on Oct. 22, almost two years after its original projected release date due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s book series of the same name was also made available on HBO Max the same day.  

Despite being available for streaming, “Dune” has performed phenomenally in the box office. In its opening weekend, the film made $40.1 million in ticket sales in North America alone while making $47.4 million internationally. Throughout its entire time in theaters, Dune has made a total of $220.7 million globally thus far.  

The film follows Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his journey to the most dangerous planet in the universe to fight for the future of his family and his people. The first part of the film shows Paul proving himself to his father and the leader of the planet, Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), as well as the current soldiers and defenders of the planet. It takes work, but Paul eventually earns his place fighting with the best of the best against enemies that prove to be more dangerous than others.    

The impressive special effects and costume design place “Dune” in the line-up for this next generation’s “Star Wars”-esque film series. The characters’ blue shields that protect them in battles and the threats of sand worms and opposing planet attacks help drive the futuristic dystopian sci-fi vision home.   

There are numerous big-name actors and actresses in this film, but “Dune” still kept its uniqueness and charm, as adding too many well-known actors can make a film seem gaudy and overproduced. Every big-name celebrity has an important role in telling the story, as well. Paul holds the future of the planet in his hands and must fight numerous enemies to keep his people safe. Chani (Zendaya) is the girl who inspires and motivates Paul to fight for what he believes in. Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is Paul’s mother who goes with him and supports him on his missions to protect the planet. These actors and the other A-list and B-list celebrities in the film are not just cameos – they are vital to retelling the story.  There are many more, but the way the actors appeared in the film and the character choices that were made helped the film look star-studded rather than overwhelming and cheesy.   

This is only the beginning for Denis Villeneuve and his star-studded cast. It has already been announced that the second part of “Dune” will be released in Oct. 2023, continuing from where the first film ended.