The official Dune trailer has finally arrived, and it contains several story, character, and plot reveals. Dune is the latest screen adaptation of the famous sci-fi novel of the same name, written by Frank Herbert. Director Denis Villeneuve seems to be following the book fairly accurately, rather than taking artistic liberties like David Lynch did with his divisive Dune interpretation in 1984. Villeneuve has split the novel into roughy two parts, the first of which will make up the plot of this movie. Dune is scheduled to release December 18, 2020.

Dune has long been called the "unadaptable" book. Herbert's novel, published in 1965, is a science-fiction epic that introduced readers to a fantastic world where humans have conquered space travel and established a multi-planetary empire known as the Imperium. Taking inspiration from human history, Herbert imagined these planets governed by a sort of feudal system — with the lords being the powerful families known as the Great Houses. The main character of Dune, actually the first book in a series, is Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet); he is next in line for the House Atreides, which has just taken control of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune — what the book series is named for.

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The inhospitable planet is the empire's only source of "melange," colloquially known as "the spice," a fantastic substance the makes the impossible possible: it extends life, gives users the ability to perform incredible complex calculations in their minds, and even permits a kind of space travel known as "foldspace." House Atreides taking stewardship of the planet is seemingly a boon to the family because the mining operation is so lucrative — but not everything is as it seems. The following are the biggest reveals from the trailer.

25. The Destruction of House Atreides

Dune Trailer

Villeneuve's Dune seems to be following the novel's plot: the sovereign leader of the interstellar empire, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, sends House Atreides to Dune as a trap, designed to take down a family he views as a threat to his own power. Shaddam conspires with House Harkonnen — long-time enemies of House Atreides — to wipe out the family. Paul Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica, narrowly escape the ensuing destruction. Since they are being hunted by Harkonnen forces, they set out to the unforgiving desert.

24. Visions of Chani

Chani standing on top of a mountain in the desert in Dune (2021).

Paul Atreides is noted for his frequent prophetic visions, but none are so frequent as the woman he would eventually meet and know as the Fremen Chani (Zendaya). The Fremen are the native population on the planet Arrakis; these people have learned to survive in the harsh desert, and play a key role in Paul Atreides personal journey. The trailer appears to show both his initial visions of Chani, as well as him meeting her following the destruction of his House.

23. Transport Ships Leaving Caladan

Dune Trailer

The ocean world of Caladan is the ancestral home of House Atreides and looks to be where 2020 Dune begins. When the Emperor Shaddam IV "gives" them the rich desert world or Arrakis, the family is forced to move there. The trailer provides a glimpse not just of the planet's terrain, but also the transport ships used to fly between worlds.

22. The Gom Jabbar Test

Dune Trailer

Paul isn't just the next in line for his house — he is also a "chosen one," believed to possess great abilities. The trailer shows Paul taking the Gom Jabbar Test of Humanity. Essentially, the great test of fear is administered by the Bene Gesserit — a powerful ancient order of women — to test evaluate one's human superiority (versus base animalistic instincts). The trailer shows a Bene Gesserit (probably Reverend Mother) administering the test on Paul to determine his character, control, and psychic potential.

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21. Defensive Holtzman Shield is a Glove

Dune Trailer

One area of Dune that has always proved difficult to adapt is the Holtzman shield. The defensive device is an energy shield that wraps around the body of a swordsman, preventing penetration by direct energy weaponry. Only a slow blade will pass the shield — a specific skill that requires training to master. The trailer shows Gurney Halleck's (Josh Brolin) training Paul Atreides in this style of sword fighting. The defensive shield is traditionally depicted as a belt with an activation switch. This trailer seems to indicate that this time around the shield is activated by a device opposite the sword arm.

20. Duke Leto Leaves Caladan

Dune Trailer

Duke Leto (Oscar Isaac), Paul's father and the leader of their house, is shown reviewing an artifact of his family's history on Caladan, the ocean homeworld of the Atreides family. Given the trailer's narration that accompanies this image — as well as the carving's heavy religious overtones — it is possible that the stone tablet is one of the prophecies believed to be about Paul.

19. Duke Leto Atreides

Dune Trailer

The trailer reveals the head of House Atreides, Duke Leto. This isn't the first time viewers have seen him  — earlier promotional material showed Isaac in the role — but it is nice to get a more complete idea of how the actor is approaching the character. In the novel Dune, Leto is aware that he's entering a trap by relocating to Arrakis but is unable to refuse the Emperor — based on Isaac's worried facial expression, it appears this version of the character feels the same way.

18. Atreides Settles In

Dune Trailer

The Dune 2020 trailer reveals the general aesthetic of Villeneuve's world, including this interior shot. The scene itself is likely the Atreides servants moving the House's belongings into the palace on Arrakis when they're first settling in. The shot illustrates how Dune 2020 is visually distinct from other sci-fi movies, as the building's interior has a modern/geometric quality while also echoing medieval architecture.

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17. Lady Jessica

Dune Trailer

The Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) is the loving concubine of Duke Leto and mother to Paul. In the novel, Jessica escapes with Paul into the desert, and because of her Bene Gesserit training, is able to undergo the ritual to become the Fremen's spiritual leader, Reverend Mother.

16. Royal Formal Clothing

Dune Trailer

The trailer shows what appears to be Jessica in her official royal concubine attire. This is after the House Atreides have come to Dune, settled in, and when they're about to take a tour of the spice mining facilities. The entire party appear to be in formal ceremonial dress for the occasion.

15. Atreides Army Moves to Dune

Dune Trailer

The trailer shows Paul, flanked by house Mentat Thurfur Howatt (Stephen McKinley Henderson), and the army of Atreides soldiers that will occupy Arrakis. The Mentat in the world of Dune are a sort of advisor profession: these are people who use "the Spice" to unlock superhuman thinking capabilities, essentially becoming living computers.

14. Sardaukar on Salusa Secundus

Dune Trailer

The trailer appears to reveal the elite super soldiers of the Emperor Shaddam IV, the Sardaukar, on the harsh planet Salusa Secundus. Salusa Secundus is a prison planet. It's incredibly brutal place to live, so the Sardaukar are trained there in order to make them one of the most fearsome military forces in the empire.

13. Glossu Rabban Harkonnen

Dune Trailer

The trailer provides a look at Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, Vladimir's nephew and a Harkonnen enforcer. In the novel, he is a feared man, known by the Fremen as "the Beast." He appears to be one of the primary antagonists in Villeneuve's Dune.

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12. Trees Burning Around the Atreides Estate

Dune Trailer

The trailer shows a glimpse of the destruction Atreides estate, signified by the burning palm trees. On the planet Arrakis, there is very little vegetation and water — therefore, the rows of trees would be an incredible show of wealth and social standing, and must belong to the house overseeing the planet's mining operation.

11. Suk Doctor Wellington Yueh

Dune Trailer

The trailer also gives viewers the first look at actor Chen Chang as Wellington Yueh. Yueh is a Suk Doctor — essentially the royal physicians. Like Mentats and Bennet Gesserit, the Suk doctors are conditioned from a young age to prepare for their occupation. These doctors, identifiable by the diamond on their forehead, are believed to be incapable of taking a life and permanently loyal — making them perfect for royal service; however, Wellington Yueh is betrayer who defied his conditioning. The trailer hints at this with the shot of him walking with what looks to be Glossu Rabban's men.

10. Soldier Armor (& Serial Number)

Dune Trailer

The trailer shows an individual weilding a blade and donning a futuristic armor. Because the individual has a serial number tattooed above his eye, he may be a Sardaukar soldier. It's difficult to know for sure from the brief glimpse (especially since the actor's face is largely covered). Another option is that he is one of the house Atreides soldiers since his armor is the same color as the one worn by Duncan Idaho.

9. Swordmaster Duncan Idaho

Duncan smiling at someone offscreen in Dune (2021).

Jason Momoa's Dune character, Duncan Idaho, is a beloved rogue figure. Duncan is a swordsmen and Duke Leto's righthand man. The trailer shows the ferocious (yet fun!) energy that Momoa will bring to the character — who confidently states "then we will fight like demons!"

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8. Paul in a Stillsuit

Dune Trailer

The trailer offers viewers a glimpse of Paul in a Stillsuit: the special body armors worn on planet Arrakis because of the harsh desert climate. The tube leading to the wearer's nose is an idea taken from the book, as is the face mask. The suits reabsorb water as it leaves the body, purifies it, and returns it to the wearer, allowing them to stay hydrated despite the extreme weather.

7. Gurney Halleck and Paul Narrowly Escape

A sandworm eats a spice harvester in Dune

The trailer shows the massive scope of Dune's most well-known (and loved) concepts: the sandworm. These creatures are impossibly huge monsters capable of devouring entire buildings. The trailer shows what may be a mining operation collapsing into the worm's gigantic maw. On the space craft are Paul and the House Atreides warmaster Gurney Halleck narrowly escaping being devoured by the monster.

6. Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet-Kynes

Dune Trailer

Eagle-eyed viewers will catch the quick shot of actor Sharon Duncan-Brewster in the role of Dr. Liet-Kynes. In the novel, Liet Kynes is a prominent ecologist on the planet Arrakis and is the father of Chani. The 2020 adaptation of the film is gender-bending the character, making her Chani's mother instead.

5. Stilgar, Leader of the Fremen

Dune Trailer

Leader of the desert people the Fremen, Stilgar — played by Javier Bardem — is an important figure in the novel. He befriends Duncan Idaho, and later takes in Jessica and Paul, who learn how to survive the desert thanks to him and his tribe.

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4. Duncan Idaho Lives?

Dune Trailer

In the book, Duncan Idaho dies killing a fantastic 19 Sardaukar. However, the line "My duke" indicates this must be a reunion between Idaho and Paul, after the death of Duke Leto, for Paul to now be Duke. In the book it is the other swordmaster, Gurney Halleck who escapes and meets up with Paul years later then he is a leader of the Fremen. Could those roles have been switched as a reflection of Duncan Idaho's popularity as a character, and Jason Mamoa's popularity as an actor?

3. Baron Vladimir Harkonnen

Dune Trailer

The trailer features an exciting sneak peak of Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen: Leto's nemesis and the leader of House Harkonnen. Little is known about the character's role in the movie at this point, but he does appear to follow the characterization in Herbert's novel.

2. Ornithopters

Dune trailer

The trailer features two quick shots of ornithopters flying. These small flying vessels are used in Dune to transport small parties. They are winged crafts that in the book are described as bird-like — but it appears Villeneuve's is taking a more insect-inspired take on them, as these ornithopters are distinctly dragonfly-shaped (which, admittedly, makes the "ornitho" prefix, which is latin for "bird" inaccurate).

1. Paul and Jessica Meet a Sandworm

A sandworm looking down at Paul and Lady Jessica in Dune (2021).

Arguably the most exciting moment in the trailer is the sandworm reveal. At the end of the trailer, Paul and Jessica are shown fleeing from the massive creature, which is then shown in its full glory. Unlike in the book in which Paul and Jessica hide among the rocks to get away from the sandworm, here, Paul appears to confront the worm — perhaps indicating the character will tame it in the upcoming Dune adaptation.

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