Timothée Chalamet wields a crysknife in a new image from Denis Villeneuve's highly anticipated adaptation of Dune. Based on the seminal science fiction novel of the same name by Frank Herbert, Villeneuve will adapt the first half of Dune for the big screen. Chalamet stars as Paul Atreides, the heir to House Atreides and son of Duke Leto Atreides and Lady Jessica, played by Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson, respectively. When the Duke is assigned the stewardship of the inhospitable planet Dune, him and his family must leave the planet of Caladan and take control of the coveted desert world.
The planet Dune is the only source of the spice melange, a valuable resource in the universe. Not only does the spice serve as a drug-like substance that allows for heightened intelligence, but it also allows longterm space travel that makes traversing the galaxy much easier. Dune is centered around the struggle for control of this subtance, at least at first, and Paul Atreides is at the center of this battle between warring houses, including his own House Atreides, House Harkonnen, and the empire itself. This battle will drive him from his home and lead him to seek shelter with the Fremen people, but they will not immediately accept him.
A new image from Dune (via TotalFilm) teases this struggle as Paul is wielding a crysknife against another of the Fremen people, one by the name of Jamis. They are both in fighting stances, preparing for a duel. Paul is already wearing his stillsuit, indicating that he has been in the desert for some time at this point in the film. Check out the full image below:
For fans of the novel, this scene will be quite familiar. As Paul and Lady Jessica adjust to life with the Fremen people, not everyone is as accepting of their presence. With many suspecting that the heir to House Atreides may be the Kwisatz Haderach, a long fabled male Bene Gesserit, some, like Jamis, are unwilling to accept his presence in the Sietch. This leads to their eventual duel, which is depicted in the photo.
With Dune being cut in half, it seems like this moment will take place in the latter half of the film and could quite possibly be the climax as Paul accepts his destiny as the Kwisatz Haderach. Villeneuve had previously stated that he would not have signed on for the first film if he was unable to complete the story and while a sequel is already in the works, the follow-up to Dune has yet to be greenlit. More information about the sequel will likely be forthcoming when the film finally hits theaters this October.
Source: TotalFilm
