If you’re figuring out where to watch 2021’s Dune, then you should be aware of previous adaptations of the epic science fiction classic. For example, there is 1984’s David Lynch-directed Dune featuring Kyle MacLachlan in his film debut, and 2000’s three-part TV miniseries called Frank Herbert’s Dune that first aired on the Sci Fi Channel.
2021’s Dune is actually titled onscreen as Dune: Part One. It was directed by Denis Villeneuve, with a screenplay by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, and Eric Roth. The reason for the title onscreen including “Part One” is that despite its two-and-a-half-hour runtime, the film is the first of a two-part adaptation of Frank Herber’s 1965 novel. The 2021 adaptation has a star-studded ensemble cast, featuring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya — alongside Dave Bautista, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Chang Chen, David Dastmalchian, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Rebecca Ferguson, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Stellan Skarsgård.
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Dune is now available to stream at home on HBO Max.
Watch Dune on HBO Max
Dune: Better Than Previous Adaptations
Frank Herbert’s complicated and sprawling sci-fi novel has had a tumultuous page-to-screen history. While the unsuccessful 1984 film and the 2000 three-part TV series were released, they weren’t the only adaptations. There was also an unrealized adaptation of it conceived in the early 1970s by Alejandro Jodorowsky. In 2008, Paramount Pictures announced plans to adapt the novel faithfully — but dropped the project in March 2011.
Villeneuve’s Dune was not only completed and released but also received 10 nominations at the 94th Academy Awards. 2021’s Dune won the most awards in the ceremony — Best Cinematography, Best Film Editing, Best Original Score, Best Production Design, Best Sound, and Best Visual Effects. Like other Warner Bros. films released during the pandemic, you can watch Dune on HBO Max. Set in the distant future on a planet that’s vastly different from Earth, Dune follows Paul Atreides as his family, the House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the inhospitable desert planet called Arrakis.
When Is Dune: Part Two Coming Out?
Not only can viewers rewatch Dune again and again on HBO Max, but they’ll also get to see the second half of the story in theaters next year. After that, there might be even more Dune sequels and spinoffs in years to come. Villeneuve always made it clear that his adaptation was to split Dune into two films. Yes, the original material has a sprawling story that couldn’t fit into two and a half hours. The Dune sequel is expected to be theatrically released on November 17, 2023.
Here’s Where To Watch Dune
Dune was originally scheduled for a 2020 release but was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The film premiered the following year at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021, ahead of its international theatrical release on September 15, 2021. It was then released in U.S. theaters and on HBO Max on October 22, 2021. However, it was removed from the service after 30 days.
After its theatrical run in the fall of 2021, Dune came back to HBO Max ahead of the 94th Academy Awards in 2022. Villeneuve didn’t particularly care for the decision of Warner Bros. to put the film on HBO Max — but home viewers love the accessibility.
Watch Dune on HBO Max