Dune (titled onscreen as Dune: Part One) is a 2021 American epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve and written by Villeneuve, Jon Spaihts, and Eric Roth. It is the first of a planned two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, primarily covering the first half of the book. Set in the far future, it follows Paul Atreides as his family, the noble House Atreides, is thrust into a war for the deadly and inhospitable desert planet Arrakis. The ensemble cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

The film is the third adaptation of Dune following David Lynch‘s 1984 film, which was a critical and commercial failure, and John Harrison‘s 2000 miniseries. After an unsuccessful attempt by Paramount Pictures to produce a new adaptation,^[5] Legendary Entertainment acquired the Dune film and TV rights in 2016, with Villeneuve signing on as director in February 2017. Production contracts were only secured for the first film, relying on its success before a second film would be greenlit after the first film’s release. Filming took place from March to July 2019 at locations including Budapest, Jordan, Norway, and Abu Dhabi.

Dune was originally scheduled for a late 2020 release, but it was delayed by the COVID-19 pandemic.^[6] The film premiered the following year at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021, ahead of its international release on September 15, 2021. It was then released in United States theaters and streaming on HBO Max on October 21, 2021. It was generally well received by critics for its visuals, scope, and ambition, and has grossed over $394 million worldwide on a production budget of $165 million. It was selected by the National Board of Review as one of the 10 best films of 2021, as well as the American Film Institute in their annual top 10. Less than a week after its domestic release, Dune: Part Two was confirmed with a planned release in October 2023.