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Dune star Timothée Chalamet compares adaptation to Harry Potter

Timothée Chalamet has compared the upcoming sci-fi movie Dune, to the magical world of Harry Potter

Timothée Chalamet in Dune 2021

Dune’s latest Hollywood adaptation is one of the most anticipated science fiction movies this year. Set to release on October 22, actor Timothée Chalamet has understandably been promoting the film and discussing his acting experiences. However, in a recent interview with Deadline, the star made a surprising comparison to another adventure franchise, saying that Dune is just as impactful as the famous Harry Potter movies and books.

Adapted from Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel of the same name, Dune follows the story of Paul Atreides (Chalamet), the son of Duke Leto Atreides (Oscar Isaac), who has stewardship over a deadly desert planet called Arrakis. The sci-fi epic has been adapted across multiple forms of media, from TV series to David Lynch’s infamous ‘80s movie. Chalamet opened up about the pressures of performing in such a beloved franchise,

“It was nerve-wracking from the announcement,” he explained. “The fans of the book, and the fans of the David Lynch version, the computer game, and everything, there’s so much love and strength of feeling. And so much of our pop culture and films and books have been derived from Dune, and all the philosophy in the book.”

The actor continued, adding: “I’ve been shocked to learn how many people have a next-level connection to the book. I compare it to how our generation grew up with Harry Potter, and that one makes sense to me.”

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Pop culture-wise Harry Potter and Dune have both made waves. However, unlike the financially prosperous Wizarding World, David Lynch’s 1984 Dune movie was a box office bomb, only grossing $30.9 million from its original $40 million budget. We are curious to see if this new Dune movie can match the cinematic success that Harry Potter has experienced.

The upcoming adventure movie will cover the first half of Frank Herbert’s novel. A sequel hasn’t been announced just yet, but director Denis Villeneuve seems pretty confident that fans can expect to see a part two in the future.

Dune will open across theatres and on HBO Max in the US on October 22, and a day earlier in UK cinemas.