Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two has garnered widespread acclaim for its seamless integration of narrative, stellar performances, and visually captivating imagery, all presented on a grand scale. The film follows Paul Atreides’ quest to wage war against House Harkonnen as he unites with the Fremen people of Arrakis, the planet at the center of the story.
Filmmaker Villeneuve ingeniously brought the desolate landscapes of Arrakis to life by filming in various locations, including the deserts of Jordan for both installments of the saga. And the filming location itself contributes to the awe-inspiring authenticity of the stunning solar eclipse featured in the opening sequence of the sequel, enhancing the impact of this cinematic masterpiece even more.
Dune: Part Two Cast And Crew Witnessed a Partial Solar Eclipse in Jordan
Dune: Part Two opens up with the Fremen along with Paul and Lady Jessica observing from a sandbank as a Harkonnen ship lands and deploys its soldiers before they ambush them one by one. The whole sequence is set against the backdrop of a solar eclipse, creating striking orange-tinted visuals.
And in an interesting twist of fate, a partial solar eclipse did occur in Jordan during the filming of the movie. The celestial event happened on October 25, 2022, and was visible from all over the country as the moon covered 35% of the Sun.
It lasted approximately two hours and 25 minutes and among many who witnessed the partial solar eclipse also included the cast and crew of the epic sci-fi film Dune: Part Two, who seized the opportunity to capture it and later incorporate it into the film.
According to The Art and Soul of Dune: Part Two, the book that delves into the behind-the-scenes narrative of the movie, the filmmakers captured the partial solar eclipse. Considering Arrakis is described as having two moons in the saga, the visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert later added a second moon to the clip.
Denis Villeneuve is Reportedly Working on Dune 3
Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has shared his plans for the next film in the sci-fi saga. He has expressed interest in adapting Dune: Messiah for a third installment in the film series. And following the immense success of Dune: Part Two, Legendary Pictures has confirmed that it is working on Dune 3 with Villeneuve, as per Variety.
The Dune sequel has achieved significant box office success, surpassing $665 million globally, and is projected to reach $700 million soon. With its constant success at the box office, the epic sci-fi saga continues to be the highest-grossing film of the year so far.
Not only it has exceeded the earnings of its predecessor, which garnered $407 million worldwide, but the Dune sequel has also become Timothée Chalamet’s biggest-ever hit at the global box office. While Villeneuve has been enthusiastic about a threequel, he has also shared that Dune 3 will conclude his involvement in the franchise based on Frank Herbert’s novels.
Dune: Part Two is playing in theatres.
