You've just watched Dune 2 and now you're curious how the story of Paul Atreides continues? Fortunately, you can easily find out by getting your hands on the books. However, you should be aware that plotwise, the books don't match the films.
The sands of Arrakis whirl once more: Dune 2 has finally landed in theaters, drawing audiences back into the saga of power, betrayal, and prophecy. The sequel easily meets the high expectations of fans, continuing the exploration of Frank Herbert's monumental universe.
If you've just watched Dune 2, and now you're super curious about what will happen next, there's good news, because since the Dune saga is based on books, you can read ahead! So if you're eager to delve deeper into the saga, turning to Herbert's novels is the next logical step.
Dune 3: Don't Pick The Wrong Novel
When talking about the different Dune films and books, there's a twist in the journey from screen to page that you should be aware of before heading to your favorite bookstore. If you've only watched the movies, you might assume that to see what will happen in Dune 3, you must leap to the third book – this is actually wrong!
The thing is that Denis Villeneuve's two Dune movies collectively cover the story of the very first Dune book, Dune . So to find out what happens after the events in the movie Dune 2, don't read the third book of Herbert's Dune novels, you'll want to grab the second book, called Dune Messiah , instead. This novel is where the story picks up after the events of Dune 2, delving deeper into Paul Atreides' journey and the consequences of what happened in Villeneuve's two Dune movies.
The fact that Villeneuve split the first book into two films caused a similar confusion when the first movie came out, resulting in people buying the second book and not understanding what is actually going on. So don't make this mistake; if you don't want to wait for Dune 3 (which hasn't actually been confirmed yet), just start reading Dune Messiah and not the third novel Children of Dune .
Dune: Differences Between The Books And The Films
Besides that, you should be aware that though Dune 2 pretty much matches the end of the first Dune book timeline-wise, there are some narrative differences. The most important ones are the following (beware of Spoilers!):
- In the movie, Paul's mother Lady Jessica is still pregnant at the end. In the novel, she gives birth to her child, named Alia, Paul's sister. And not only that: During the final battle, it's Alia who kills the Baron.
- Thufir Hawat plays a significant role in the book right up to the end. He gets captured by the Harkonnens, pretending to serve them while secretly working against them. Originally, he was supposed to be in the movie too, but unfortunately, according to Villeneuve, it didn't work out. In the book, Thufir Hawat commits suicide when he realizes Paul is Muad'Dib, and that he has unknowingly worked against his own house.
- This is probably the biggest difference: In the books, Chani is very loyal to Paul and she also understands that the planned marriage of Paul and princess Irulan has a purely political purpose. In Villeneuve's second Dune movie, it's pretty much the opposite: Not only does she refuse to believe in Paul as a prophet, but she also (at least seemingly) leaves him in the end when he announced to take princess Irulan as his wife.
Dune Spin-off Series Coming
We don't know for sure whether a Dune 3 movie will ever be produced, but we are very optimistic, since Dune 2 is already super successful and likely to become the cinema hit of the year. And even if sadly don't get another movie, HBO separately is working on a spin-off series called Dune Prophecy, which is based on the Dune prequels "Great Schools of Dune" and supposed to premier in late 2024.
Also, and excitingly for gamers, a Dune MMO is in the works.