Hitting theaters on February 28, Dune 2 continues its merry run at the box office. In France, Denis Villeneuve’s film has already reached 3 million and should soon surpass the score of the first opus.
Internationally, the work will reach 600 million dollars, that is, 200 million more than the previous episode!
Wind of Controversy
Despite the success, the wind of controversy blows the grains of sand of the Arakis desert. Recently, fans of Frank Herbert’s novel have voiced their displeasure following Denis Villeneuve’s decision to portray the character of Alia Atreides in one scene by Anna Taylor-Joy.
The rest of the time, Paulie and Demi are in Jessica’s womb, still pregnant and expressing themselves through their mother.
The Canadian director preferred to choose this option and not take into account the evolution of Alia among the Fremen over several years. In addition, Denis Villeneuve did not want to make a significant time jump between the first and second films. The filmmaker felt that the audience would be too lost and it completely avoided Alya’s apprenticeship as a Fremen.
To simplify an already extremely dense story, Denis Villeneuve was forced to make a choice of adaptation. In a story as complex as Dune’s, the challenge was titanic.
Either way, if Part 3 sees the light of day, Alia will be back in Anya Taylor-Joy’s guise and fans of the novel will be able to get the satisfaction of finally seeing the development of this main character of the novel.
Lack of representation?
Another controversy also marred Dune 2’s success. according to varietySome individuals and associations are raising their voices to condemn the lack of representation of Middle Eastern and North African actors in speaking roles.
Denis Villeneuve has also been criticized for seeming to downplay references to Middle Eastern culture, which is heavily represented in Frank Herbert’s book. Variety explains that Brian Herbert, the son of Dune author Frank Herbert, confirmed that his father was particularly inspired by the Algerian civilization to create the Fremen people, and was also heavily influenced by Arab-Muslim culture.
“I saw that the Fremen had very old roots in Arab culture, but that Arab culture had been changed by the convulsions it had experienced over the centuries.”It was emphasized by Frank Herbert A Interview in 1980.
Denis Villeneuve raised this issue in an interview with the media Nerds of color : “I tried to be as faithful as possible to the images I had in mind when I read the book when I was young.”
as faithful as possible
“I wanted to stay true to the idea that the world of the Fremen would somehow be inspired by the culture of North Africa and the Middle East, a culture that I deeply love because it’s such a complex world.The director emphasizes.
“Frank Herbert had a strong idea in his mind that came out of this world and came out of Africa. I tried to respect his ideas. That’s why I cast the way I did. And I really feel that way. “I’m right to do it. It’s authentic, honest, and true to the book.”he assured her.
Denis Villeneuve and Warner Bros. Will these criticisms and objections be taken into account for the next section, Dune’s Messiah ? We will find out in a few years! Meanwhile, Dune 2 is still in theaters and continues to be a hit.
Source: Allocine

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.