There have been three film adaptations of Frank Herbert’s Dune since 1984, but only the latest (directed by Denis Villeneuve) has been brave enough to release a sequel . After we were introduced to Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as Chani in 2021, the star-crossed lovers reconnected earlier this year on the big screen. It was important to the director that the Dune 2 ending not be perceived as a “White savior story,” which was some of the criticism of Herbert’s novel from the mid-60s. Instead, Villeneuve wanted his work to reflect the dangers of power, as shown through Paul’s ascension to Emperor of the known galaxy. Throughout Dune 2 , Paul explores the Freman culture while struggling to accept the Lisan al Gaib prophecy, which suggests he could be the people’s messiah. The young man deals with moral dilemmas while navigating this discovery, even experiencing visions of bloodshed that could come from his hands. Rather than accepting his fate, Paul hopes to prove...