George Lucas' Star Wars wouldn’t be the same without Frank Herbert’s Dune.
This article contains Star Wars and Dune spoilers.
Its part of the challenge of making aDunemovie for an audience shaped byStar Wars.
George Lucas was inspired byDunewhen he createdStar Wars.
Then as we were making a movie aboutDune, we had to negotiate the influence ofStar Wars.
And the fact remains that before there wasStar Warson the big screen there wasDuneon the page.
Its clear here were watching a hungry predator about to snatch up its prey.
Its a shot that quickly establishes just how outmatched our beloved underdog heroes are against the evil Empire.
Itll make the destruction of the Death Star that much sweeter later in the film.
But Lucas wasnt the first filmmaker to imagine such a grandiose opening shot.
JodorowskysDunewould have opened with one of the most ambitious shots ever attempted in a sci-fi film.
Its on that sandy rock where Luke takes his very first steps towards becoming a Jedi and defeating evil.
There are some surface level similarities between Lukes miserable home world andDunes Arrakis, of course.
And while Tatooine has twin suns, Arrakis sky is adorned by two moons.
Both planets are located in the farthest reaches of their respective galaxies.
In fact, the latter is key to unlocking both Paul and Lady Jessicas destinies in the story.
Its what makes Pauls sister, Princess Alia, so creepy as well.
Both heroes are driven by destiny.
His reign as emperor leads to 61 billion deaths across the galaxy.
Lucas borrowed Pauls tragedy for his telling of Anakin Skywalkers fall the the dark side in the Prequel Trilogy.
Theyre both born of privilege but use their power and platforms to different ends.
Like the Jedi they inspired, the Bene Gesserit are driven by prophecy.
They can also sense emotions and whether someone is telling the truth.
Theyre the underdogs who rally around Paul to fight Imperial tyranny and win.
Later versions of stormtroopers, such as Death troopers, more closely resemble the Sardaukar.
Its a crushing moment for the hero that defines much of the rest of his life and identity.
Dune: Part Two is playing in theaters now.
Dune: Part One is streaming on Max and Netflix.
