Top 10 Things Dune Parts One and Two Change From the Book

These epic sci-fi flicks couldn't keep everything from the books. Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re looking at ways Denis Villeneuve’s first two “Dune” movies differ from Frank Herbert’s original novel. Our countdown of how "Dune: Part One" and "Two" differ from the books includes Emperor Shaddam’s Older Appearance, Liet Kynes’ Gender, No Leto II, and more! Were these changes for the better or worse? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

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[WatchMojo]

Were these changes for the better or worse? Let us know your thoughts in the comments.

[TheWarmachine]

"I don't like sand. It's coarse, rough and gets everywhere." - Anakin Dunewalker probably

[ChapinCatrin]

I need the 4-5 hour Director's Cut for both films 😬

[johnpetty]

Another HUGE difference between them is that Paul actually never meets the Baron in the books.

[andyrihn]

The Villeneuve movies do make Paul a good man in that he refuses power until he has no other choice precisely because he knows what a monster he would become

[MasterGeek-mkne]

Dr. Yueh’s betrayal is not only hinted in the book, but also confirmed in the first few chapters.

[ticheyne]

There are so many differences that have really changed the story
1) the was little to no mention about the Spacing guild or the stranglehold they had on transport. How in the end it was their capitulation to Paul, who had the ability to destroy the Spice was the true defeat of the Empire. Without the Guild transporting everything all of the empire would collapse and they were outside the control of the Empire
2) although the Fremen had their prophecy their main focus was on changing the ecology of Dune. That underpinned everything in their lives. It was in the hidden southern region that they were establishing their green ecology. All of this was driven by the ecologist and his father before him. There was no division in the goals of the Fremen, they wanted a green planet.
3) Paul and Jessica time with the Fremen was condensed from 5 years to less than 6 months which destroyed great parts of the story- from Paul relationship with Chani, to the formation of the Fredaykin beginning with Hanah’s sons who were Paul’s responsibility for a year and who Paul taught
4) Thufir Hawat was not in the second movie and he was a big character in the book and his refusal to kill Paul for the emperor was led to the duel
5) the book themes were about the abuse of power; religion, economic, political and military and the movie only focused on the religion
6) Chani in the book is not a militant, she was the daughter of Liet-Kynes and followed his teachings on the ecology as did every Fremen. It isn’t until the 3rd book that the militant Fremen started rebelling against Paul and the Atreides and returned to their roots
7) all the water that the Fremen collected was for the purpose of greening Dune and they knew to a decagram exactly how much they needed to achieve their goals which was the reason that they would not touch the water in storage
8) no Count Fenring and his involvement in both getting a Harkonnen child from Fade Rutha as well as refusing to kill Paul in a duel when the emperor was defeated
9) Paul’s way of fighting was not Bene Gesserit it was the culmination of all of his teachers, what the Bene Gesserit taught was muscle and nerve control. The tactics he used to defeat the empire and Harkonnen were gorilla tactics taught to him by Duncan Idaho and others including the Fremen. And it takes years to learn the Bebe Gesserit muscle control technique - like learning a martial arts
10) Chani doesn’t leave Paul in fact Jessica tells her that although the princess will be his wife the princess will be less than even a concubine.
This adaptation is ok-good but it ends in a way that will be very hard to continue the story without even more issues. As a movie in itself it was a 8/10 for all the brilliant visuals as an adaptation of the book it get a 5/10. I would love to see Dune get the same treatment as Lord of the Rings, simply because of the scope of the story deserves it.

[jesseellis]

The biggest difference is the movie largely ignore the Guild.

[CallsignEskimo-lo]

Thufir Hawat doesn't make an appearance in Part 2 but in the book he becomes the Harkonnen mentat, and works to sow distrust among the Harkonnens.

[garydavis]

No poison needle
"I will bend like a reed in the wind."
"History will remember us as wives."
No mentats or spacing gild

[dane]

I missed the part where Paul yells at Reverend Mother Hellen revealing he’s the Kwisatz Haderach and he will never do her bidding and she cries “Jessica what have you done!?”

[Ravelord_N_I_T_O]

The only thing I was disappointed with was the dynamic between Paul and Chani. I feel like if they don't have a way to bring it back to canon, the third movie is going to be completely off the rails lore-wise.

[David-sqng]

My biggest complaint with both movies is the costuming; in the book no one wore armor. Shields made armor irrelevant. And, as is mentioned in the video, the emperor didn't want his involvement known, so the sardaukar work harkonnen uniforms.

[broganatcanterburyrenaissa]

Ok..ok..has this person even read the book?? Lady Jessica is very prominent and layered.

[KGV]

I did not like how Chani took off in the end or how they left out that she was the daughter of Leit Kynes. I also thought it was an odd choice not to have Alia as a child. I guess we will see what they do with Chani as she has a very specific destiny that is pivotal in Dune Messiah.

[TeamRemForever]

I saw Dune: Part Two in IMAX last night! It was the best movie I have ever seen in my life!!!! I will remember this theater experience forever! Everything about Part Two was absolutely phenomenal, from the story, to the acting to the incredible score by Hans Zimmer! This is honestly one of the best films of the decade, and one of my all time favorite movies!

[jts]

In the book Liet Kynes, while dehydrated and dying, is killed by a worm. Also, the fight between Paul & jamis takes place in a sietch without stillsuits, which explains why Paul receives Jamis' water.

[mrcydonia]

I wish they had explained how the personal shields reacted to Lasguns, thus explaining why sword and knife fighting was so prevalent and why the Harkonnen warriors turned their shields off.

[Crimzy]

I loved the second movie, although a bit less than the first one. It's a good adaptation, but the Paul-Chani romance being changed this drastically has heavily affected the film, and possible sequels. I understand that the director went for a more explicit conflict between Chani and Paul, because the book is abundant with inner monologue and inner conflict, which of course we wouldn't be able to see on the screen. Book and movie spoilers ahead.

I liked that Chani was given a more active role in the film, however it was at the cost of the portrayal of Paul. In the film, she opposes him and keeps him at arms length. She is distrustful. Again, its a nice adaptation given how Jessica was made to look much more manipulative, asserting Paul's position from within the Fremen society. But it makes it seem like she is just waiting to see if Paul will betray her and the Fremen, by abusing the prophecy to rise to power. She is defiant and critical of both Paul and Jessica in the film, whereas in the book she respects her as reverend mother way more than what is shown.

The lack of the time skip, and Leto not being born (or killed), as well as Chani being present for the final confrontation are the main reasons I'm worried about their relationship and the direction of a possible sequel. Because their son isn't killed in the film, Paul is shown to have kinda betrayed Chani. She sees it as if he plotted it all out with his mother and Gurney. In the book, he really wants to avoid the jihad, but losing his son tips the scales. After their son dies, Chani understands Paul's decision to take revenge, and become emperor, which the film does not convey in that way- Instead, we are shown a scene with the atomic bombs, which is the trigger, the green light, that they can go to war.

Lastly, the straw the breaks the camels back is the scene in the movie where Paul just walks in, insults the emperor, says he will take Irulan as his empress and become emperor himself, all the while Chani is present. In the book she isn't there, which is VERY important, because rather than be subject to his decision, as it is in the book, we are shown her reaction to this SECONDS AFTER he told her he will love her for as long as he breathes. But because Chani is built up to be more distrustful in the movie, she abandons Paul, instead of accepting this fact, although with much resentment. This becomes one of the most central plotpoints in Dune Messiah - Paul keeps telling Chani that he does not love Irulan, and keeps affirming his love to her constantly. Chani knows this, but can't help feeling resentful and guilty, especially because she can't get pregnant. The ending of the second film is a drastic showing of Chani's inner conflict. Instead of showing her as Paul's greatest ally, even in the face of betrayal and political machinations, she just runs away feeling betrayed.

[edis]

The time span, it feels like it's only been a few months in the film instead of few years, and Lady Jessica is stil pregnant at the end.