When Denis Villeneuve adapted Frank Herbert’s novel into Dune and Dune: Part Two, he made significant changes to the source material. Fans of the book may be a little upset with the director, but they appear to be in the minority as the film received rave reviews from critics and audiences. Villeneuve’s approach is very similar to Peter Jackson’s when the latter adapted J.R.R. Tolkien’s dense books of The Lord of the Rings into a condensed three-part film.
Dune: Part Two is expected to break many box office records during its theatrical run due to the overwhelming response. The film has some exceptional performances from Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Austin Butler, and Stellan Skarsgård.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Adaptation Changed Several Plots In The Book
Dune: Part Two opened in theaters on March 1, and fans found the film miles apart from the previous film adaptations. Denis Villeneuve skillfully crafted his fantasy desert world of Arrakis with an element of realism so that audiences would believe his larger-than-life characters and relate to them. However, Villeneuve’s vision on screen did not manage to satisfy the hardcore fans of Frank Herbert’s novel.
Denis Villeneuve earlier admitted in multiple interviews that his film would not be a page-by-page adaptation of the book. Herbert’s book was filled with various subplots and lengthy expositions at places, all of which could not have fit into a two-part film. Denis Villeneuve and his co-screenwriter Jon Spaihts took almost a year to complete the screenplay of the second film.
Villeneuve told in an interview with Den of Greek that he was as economical as possible with the dialogues and wanted some of the story to be conveyed visually. For Villeneuve and Spaihts, the most challenging part was to find the equilibrium onscreen between simplifying the book’s story and not missing out on the crucial plot elements of the book. The Sicario director shared with Den of Greek:
“It’s all about the character’s arc and the emotional impact of the film. Discipline is required to be as economic as possible, specifically with dialogue. To always go the more direct way of doing things and trying to simplify. There’s an equilibrium when you’re trying to find a purity. The more simple you are, the more complex it becomes. It creates depth. When the surface is too dense, then you cannot go deeper. I tried to find that equilibrium onscreen. It took us months to write this part.”
Even after writing a tight-knit screenplay for the film, Villeneuve still had to cut some of the scenes from the film. In an interview with EW, the Blade Runner 2049 director revealed that cutting out Stephen McKinley Henderson’s Thurif from Dune: Part Two was a painful choice to make. This omission meant that fans missed out on the subplot involving Thurif and Lady Jessica in the books.
Fans Believed Denis Villeneuve Improved Upon The Novels Just Like Peter Jackson
Some fans took to X to throw shade at the positive reception of the film, sharing that the film came nowhere close to satisfying the fans like the books. However, many came on to defend the film versions. One popular comment shared that Denis Villeneuve and Peter Jackson were two directors who improved upon the source material. Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, based on J.R.R Tolkien, was considered some of the best book-to-film adaptations ever.
Another fan shared that both these directors did justice to the books while also creating their own visions. One fan explained that the choice of these directors was to make the film better or make it accurate according to the books. They went for the first option, which the fan believed was the correct choice. While many felt the decision to cut out many scenes was right, they also missed some of the characters and scenes from the books.
Fan of the book here. I think Villeneuve, along with Peter Jackson, is one of the very few filmmakers to ultimately improve upon the source material. https://t.co/Re58sONOfU
— Richard Newby – New Account (@NewbyRichard3) March 2, 2024
I wouldn’t say “improved”…. Dune and LOTR are among the best books ever written.
But Jackson and Villeneuve definitely did justice to them.— Rick Dude (@slask77) March 3, 2024
People need to understand that with adaptations and ESPECIALLY Dune, the choice is between making the film better or being more accurate. The choice here was to improve the film, and it was the correct one, as it usually is. It's better without constant internal monologues.
— the outsider (@outsiderprod) March 3, 2024
I think its mostly in line with the book aside from the timeline/Alia stuff.
There was more stuff just omitted rather than outright changed like the missing banquet scene in Pt. 1 plus all the Thufir/Jessica subplot and missing Guild navigators.— . (@evldead123) March 2, 2024
Chani is different and Jessica is way more proactive in the films than in the book. I did miss the Thufir subplot though.
— Richard Newby – New Account (@NewbyRichard3) March 2, 2024
As a fan of the book, I’m a fan of this adaptation. Everything left on the cutting room floor feels right, but I was wondering where Thufir went. Stephen McKinley Henderson is an excellent actor. Works without him, but feels weird that he’s gone.
— 𝙹𝚄𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙽 𝙼𝙾𝚁𝙶𝙰𝙽 (@JJMorgan19) March 3, 2024
Both The Lord of the Rings trilogy and Dune are available for streaming on Max, while Dune: Part Two is successfully running in theaters.
