by Izaak Garcia
Next month, a highly anticipated movie with a
star-studded cast will be released—here’s what
you need to know.
From sprawling desert oceans as far as the
eye can see, to fantastical, mystic creatures
dwarfing any rocket or ship, the upcoming
movie Dune is sure to create visuals that will
stay in the minds of audiences and critics alike.
The highly anticipated film from director Denis
Villeneuve (pronounced Deh-nee Vill-nuuv)
showcases numerous forms of set design,
CGI generated environments, and incredible
directing to portray an epic tale of a boy rising
to confront his destiny on a harsh planet, along with the obstacles and people that will
undoubtedly hinder his way. With fans of the
book (written by Frank Herbert) as well as
new discoverers of the upcoming film creating
a contagious hype around the movie, it’s no
surprise that many are predicting Dune will
do exceptionally well when it is finally released
in theaters.
Now, not every movie receives this kind
of attention, especially before it has even been
released, so what makes Dune any different?
For starters, it has an absolutely star-studded
cast, featuring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya,
Oscar Isaac, Jason Mamoa, Rebecca Ferguson,
and many, many more. Not only are fans of
the books excited for this release, but each
actor’s fan followings have had their interests
piqued from recognizing many faces in this
collaboration—and this is by no accident. The
box office numbers of all kinds of movies can
be heavily impacted by the actors being cast in
them, no matter the genre. But casting isn’t the
only thing that goes into a big film such as
this one.
Some may be surprised to learn Denis
Villeneuve’s Dune isn’t the only adaptation
that has been made from Herbert’s book
written in 1965. What people might not know
is that the first ever adaptation was released
in 1984, directed by David Lynch. That film did
very poorly at the box office, not even making
enough money to cover the budget spent
making the film and receiving mixed ratings
from audiences and critics alike. But this is
precisely why fans are so excited about Denis
Villeneuve’s Dune. Villeneuve’s reputation
precedes him, with visually stunning movies
such as Arrival, Sicario, and Prisoners. Not to
mention that when Dune premiered at the
Venice Film Festival in Italy on September
3rd, it received an 8-minute standing ovation
from the audience, applauding both Villeneuve
as well as the phenomenal cast. Along with
the director and main cast, applause and
praise were also given to the composer, music
producer, and film scorer, the renowned
Hans Zimmer.
The legacy of Dune has been a long
time in the making, and in less than a month,
it will finally arrive. Now that you have the
backstory on why there’s so much hype around
Dune, there’s really only one more piece of
information for you to learn. Dune comes out
in theaters all over America on October 22nd,
2021, and it will surely not be a film to miss.
About Izaak Garcia
Izaak Garcia is currently a freshman at the University of Southern California, majoring in Cinema and Media Studies with a minor in Applied Cybersecurity. He has played soccer with FC Peoria, Dunlap, and Richwoods for over a decade combined. Garcia has also played tennis for 4 years, securing a spot on both junior varsity and varsity teams. Along with this, he has competed with the Richwoods Worldwide Youth Science and Engineering team for Biology and English for 2 years and earned multiple awards for the school. Garcia is also heavily involved with the arts. As a multi-instrumentalist, he has played the saxophone for 8 years and piano for 2 years. During his junior year of high school, he was involved in theater at Richwoods as stage crew and manager. He helped with two productions and was being trained to be stage manager for senior year before the COVID-19 pandemic impacted school. Outside of school activities, Garcia is involved in Jack and Jill of America (an organization for young African American men and women to serve the community). He served as his chapter’s treasurer during his freshman year of high school. Along with Jack and Jill of America, he enjoys coding, learning new languages, and playing video games.
About Terri Silva
Terri Silva is a 20-year-old sophomore at Bradley University pursuing a major in Television Arts with a minor in Interdisciplinary Film Studies. For Silva, art is a hobby in addition to a potential career, and she takes it very seriously. Silva thrives when she tells stories in all forms: drawings, films, writings, and more. Silva thinks of herself as a creative mind that wants to share ideas with others, while also taking in what they have to offer as well.