Sharareh Drury in ‘Dune 2’ Criticized for Lack of Middle Eastern and North African Inclusion and Influences: ‘A Missed Opportunity’ addresses the Dune: Part Two film’s treatment of Middle Eastern and North African elements and Islamic culture, casting, and the missed opportunity to adapt Herbert’s novel Dune in a way that involved and represented marginalized communities. I appreciated the opportunity to provide background and commentary about the Fremen and their depiction in the source material. Great quote from writer Khaldoun Khelil in this article: “The problem for the movies [and] the di ..read more

Rory Doherty in Should Denis Villeneuve Make More Dune Sequels? Dune Scholars Aren’t So Sure for Inverse interviewed me and others about potential future sequel adaptations of Dune. I find interesting that people are praising the films for supposedly changing ‘nothing characters’ into something, but also not minding the downplaying or erasure of others such as the Mentats and Guild. It’s also interesting how journalists continue to have a much broader definition of who qualifies as an expert or scholar and tend to draw from their own media pools. Academics may be harder to get a hold of b ..read more

There’s much ado about Chani. Find me on the Gom Jabbar Dune Podcast with Abu and Leo discussing the depiction of Chani in the book vs. the film Dune: Part Two.  The post Chani on Gom Jabbar Dune Podcast appeared first on Dune Scholar ..read more

My review of the Dune: Imperium Uprising board game from Dire Wolf is up at Dune News Net. This updated version of the original Dune: Imperium game adds new elements such as sandworms and spies and incorporates visuals from the Dune: Part Two film. It’s a fun way to immerse yourself in the Dune universe and its politics and intrigue through gameplay. The post Review: Dune Imperium Uprising Game appeared first on Dune Scholar ..read more

My analysis of Chani in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two film has been published on Dune News Net as Chani and the Empowered Woman Stereotype in ‘Dune: Part Two’: No Family, No Faith, Just Fight. Chani’s portrayal in the ‘Dune’ movies eliminates key roles she held in the book, reducing her agency and depth as a character. This piece continues my analysis of the women in the film, begun in Dune: Part Two’s Treatment of Women is an Abomination, which focuses on Jessica and the Bene Gesserit. It draws from my prior scholarship on Chani’s character and my discussion of The post My Analysis of Cha ..read more

I had a great discussion with Maggie Freeman, PhD candidate at the Nomads, Past and Present Podcast, about the depiction of the Fremen in Dune: Part Two compared to the book, including the term ‘jinn’, the Fremen’s diet, and the historical influence of Lawrence of Arabia and the Arab Revolt. Find the episode “Dune, Part Two” on the New Books Network. The post Interview about Dune: Part Two Film on Nomads Podcast appeared first on Dune Scholar ..read more

Despite stated intentions to focus on women and expand their roles, the new Dune film adaptations disappointingly fall back on stereotypes for the Bene Gesserit and undermine the political, religious, and maternal agency of Jessica in particular. Cast and Crew Intentions Director Denis Villeneuve has discussed in numerous interviews that he wanted to focus on the women in his adaptation. Before Dune: Part One, he said: “For me, it was important to bring more femininity to the story. I am fascinated by the relationship of femininity and power, the place of women in society…. [Lady Jessica]’s a ..read more

Live premiere on Dune News Net’s YouTube channel: Sunday, February 25, 2024 at 11:00am PST, 2:00pm EST, 8:00pm CET. Join me for a virtual panel with women scholars who have written about Frank Herbert’s Dune as we discuss this science fiction classic and what we find interesting and relevant about its epic story. Each writer will bring their own angle of research to the table and explore what keeps fans and scholars alike coming back to this decades-old book and its adaptations. Just in time for the release of the new Dune: Part Two film! Meet the Panelists! Yosr Dridi, PhD The post Women ..read more

My new book Adaptations of Dune: Frank Herbert’s Story on Screen has been released! Find it in paperback and ebook versions on Amazon. This book is all about the three screen adaptations of Dune — David Lynch’s 1984 film Dune, John Harrison’s 2000 television miniseries Frank Herbert’s Dune, and Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 Dune: Part One — and how faithful they are to Herbert’s source material. It is the first study of the miniseries and the first extended study of Dune: Part One, and provides the groundwork for understanding these adaptations and how closely they align to the book so bel ..read more

There’s just a month to go until the publication of my next book, Adaptations of Dune: Frank Herbert’s Story on Screen! Pre-order the Kindle ebook version on Amazon now, or wait until the paperback release on February 5. An audiobook version will hopefully follow soon after. While the world has awaited the Dune: Part Two film (now scheduled for a March release), I decided to study the three existing adaptations and how faithful they are to Frank Herbert’s book. All of the directors said publicly that they wanted to stay faithful to the source material, so I took a closer lo ..read more