When it comes to movies, the sci-fi genre is incredibly popular, and although most of them feature original stories, many are based on existing source material, like books. Dune was written by Frank Herbert, and it was released in 1965. It was a fairly well-received novel, which is why it got the movie treatment in 1984. The film was criticized for its screenwriting and for not being faithful to the source material, but it ended up becoming a cult classic nonetheless.
Talk of a new Dune film began in 2016, and five years later, it was finally released. So far, the movie has been a critical and financial success, which is understandable since it differs from the original film in a number of ways.Dune 2021 follows Herbert's original story pretty well, but there are still a number of noticeable changes.
8 The Crawler Scene Played Out Differently
Shortly after House Atreides arrives on Arrakis, Duke Leto makes it very clear that he wants to inspect one of the spice mines himself, and he is joined by Paul, Gurney, and Kynes. During the inspection, they come across a manned sand crawler that is threatened by an approaching sandworm. When Leto lands the ship to help the crawler's crew, Paul gets off to assist, and he almost gets eaten by the worm.
This event does occur in the book, but it was far less suspenseful. Paul never leaves the ship in the book, and instead of helping the crew, he simply watches as the sandworm devours the crawler from the air.
7 Liet Kynes Is Gender Swapped
Liet Kynes is a rather important character in the book, as he is an Imperial ecologist who served as Judge of the Change in order to ensure a fair transfer of power between House Atreides and the Harkonnen. He was also the secret leader of the Fremen, and Chani's father.
The movie did not change the character's Imperial role, nor did it change his relationship with the Fremen, but it did turn Kynes into a woman. There is nothing wrong with gender-swapping certain roles, but in this case, it is a pretty significant change from the source material.
6 Kynes' Death Was Changed
When a group of Sardaukar troops attempts to kill Paul and his mother, Kynes helps them to escape, but she ends up dying shortly after. Some of those troops follow her into the desert, and one stabs her in the back. Before they can finish her off, Kynes lures a sandworm to their location, and it proceeds to devour everyone.
In the book, Kynes' death is a lengthy affair, as he is left to fend for himself in the desert without any water or a stillsuit. In the end, he dies from exhaustion, dehydration, and delirium.
5 No Mention Of Paul's Mentat Training
Mentats are individuals with powerful minds, and thanks to spice, they are essentially living computers. The movie shows two Mentats: Thufir Hawat of House Atreides, and Piter De Vries of House Harkonnen, but it ignores the fact that Paul received Mentat training.
In the book, Paul receives secret Mentat training without even realizing it, and it plays a role later on. It is believed that this training, combined with his Bene Gesserit training, is what helped Paul to become the fabled ultimate being known as the Kwisatz Haderach.
4 The Sardaukar Were Supposed To Be Disguised As Harkonen Soldiers
Jason Momoa did a great job in the movie, and his behind-the-scenes videos are definitely worth watching. Momoa's best scene came when his character, Duncan Idaho fought off Sardaukar troops to give Paul and Lady Jessica enough time to escape. Duncan ends up dying as a result.
The Sardaukar are feared because they are the elite military force of the Padishah Emperor, and they were sent to help destroy House Atreides. The Sardaukar wear very distinct armor, which is why the Emperor in the book made sure that they wore Harkonnen armor to conceal Imperial involvement. In the movie, however, the Sardaukar wear their distinct armor, which is why Duncan is able to identify them.
3 The Traitor Subplot Barely Existed
A few sci-fi adaptations have managed to outshine their source material, and the argument can be made that Dune is one of them. As good as the movie is, however, it can still be criticized for essentially removing an entire subplot from the book. The movie makes it very clear that there is a traitor within House Atreides, and it is later revealed to be Dr. Yueh.
In the book, the Harkonnen place suspicion onto Lady Jessica, and although Duke Leto sees through their deception, the Mentat Hawat believes it to be true. Hawat ends up confronting Jessica, and she makes him regret it.
2 The Final Fight Scene Was Supposed To Happen Later
As the movie comes to a close, the Fremen save Paul and his mother from a sandworm, and when Stilgar agrees to bring them to their settlement, a man named Jamis challenges Paul to a fight to the death. This fight does happen in the book, but not right away.
In the book, Stilgar simply brings them to the Sietch Tabr, and the challenge gets issued later on. Another difference comes when the battle is over, as the movie leaves out a scene where the other Fremen preserve the water from Jamis' body.
1 Chani Was Supposed To Offer Paul Help
A sequel is officially happening, which means that Paul's relationship with Chani will actually be explored. As Paul prepares for the dual, Chani tells him that Jamis is a skilled warrior who will kill him quickly, and she then offers him her Crysknife so he can die with honor.
In the book, Chani's attitude towards Paul is much different. Instead of simply marking him for death, Chani decides to help Paul by giving him advice on how to fight Jamis, and that advice helps him to win.