Riding a sandworm across the desert planet of Arrakis is something most “Dune” fans have no doubt wanted to do at one time or another, but it begs the question: How does one get rid of giant algae?
Well, it looks like Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve has an answer, as he told IndieWire in an interview focused on Part Two.
“Dune’s” lore established that the Fremen – a fiercely independent group of desert warriors – could ride and control worms and use them in battle or as transportation across vast terrain, with entire villages riding on their spacious backs. However, we never see anyone getting rid of worms.
Villeneuve admitted he had received “repeated inquiries” about this “crazy Uber system”, with fans asking how Freemen got the worms down upon arriving at their final destination.
Although Villeneuve has an answer, viewers will unfortunately have to wait until part three.
“I knew how. I found a way,” Villeneuve said. “Dune: Part Two didn’t have to see someone emerge from the worm, but I know how to do it. I can’t wait to put that on screen.
He described the sandworm riding scene of Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) as his “favorite” sequence in the film. The scene took two months to film, with a second unit needed to execute with rotating platforms, dog hooks and flying desert sand (the entire scene was shot in the desert in sunlight, and nothing was done on stage).
“Everything we shot in the deep desert wasn’t easy because I wanted a level of realism that required us to create giant structures or shadow makers to make the light believable,” Villeneuve said. “The characters and all the action sequences required an enormous amount of preparation and logistics to protect the crew from the heat and to protect the stunts.” “.
He added: “The one scene I didn’t want to compromise at all was the worm ride. Technically it required a lot of time and research and development. It was one of the most complex things I’ve ever done.”
“Dune: Part Two” is the second part of Villeneuve’s “Dune” trilogy, based on the 1965 science fiction novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. Set in a distant future where interstellar travel depends on valuable spices, young nobleman Paul Atreides must navigate treacherous politics and a desert landscape to fulfill his destiny when he becomes embroiled in a power struggle for control of the desert planet Arrakis.
The sequel, which was released on March 1, has already grossed an impressive $32.1 million on opening day, including $12 million from Thursday evening and earlier event preview screenings — its biggest opening weekend of the year, surpassing the $28.6 total. A million dollars for three days of “Bob Marley: One Love.”