'Enormously grateful': 'Dune: Part Two' cast, director visit Korea ahead of movie release

Coming to Korea for “Dune: Part Two” was “incredible” to say the least, actors Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Stellan Skarsgard and director Denis Villeneuve said during a press conference Wednesday.

From left, director Denis Villeneuve, producer Tanya Lapointe, actors Stellan Skarsgard, Austin Butler, Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet pose for photos during a press conference for "Dune: Part Two" at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, western Seoul on Wednesday. [NEWS1]

Coming to Korea for “Dune: Part Two” was “incredible” to say the least, actors Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Stellan Skarsgård and director Denis Villeneuve said during a press conference Wednesday.

“I am truly, enormously grateful to be here and to be so warmly received in Korea as we have been,” Chalamet said during a press conference for “Dune: Part Two” at Conrad Seoul in Yeouido, western Seoul, on Wednesday. “Thank you for the incredibly warm reception at the airport of the wonderful fans and the beautiful gifts they gave us. I hope a continued success for the Dune films in Korea.”

“Dune: Part Two” is a direct sequel of the 2021 film “Dune,” and the two films are adapted from the first two books of author Frank Herbert’s sci-fi novel series “Dune” (1965-85). A sprawling, ambitious saga about the power plays between great houses ruling the galaxy and a cautionary tale of the effects of religious belief, “Dune” is widely known in the sci-fi genre.

The main story follows Paul Atreides, the heir of Duke Atreides who travels with his family to the desert planet of Arrakis, which is the source of an all-important spice that allows interstellar travel and prolongs life. Paul is caught up in a scheme set by the Emperor, losing his father and escaping with his mother to the desert. “Dune: Part Two” follows Paul after these events as he seeks to take revenge upon the Harkonnens, a rival house to the Atreides.

A scene from "Dune: Part Two," starring Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides, left, and Zendaya as Chani [WARNER BROS. KOREA]

Villeneuve, a big fan of Herbert’s original books, said the priority for him in developing the second film was getting across Herbert’s message from the books and staying true to the source material.

“I tried to be as faithful as possible to Frank Herbert’s initial desires, about making a warning against charismatic figures,” Villeneuve said. “I wanted to tell this story of a young man: Will he be able to get rid of his genetic heritage and finally find freedom? In the second installment, we see him struggling with these big questions, and it’s all from the book.”

Chalamet read the “Dune” novels way before he met with Villeneuve and marveled at the character and his meaning in the story.

Main poster for "Dune: Part Two" [WARNER BROS. KOREA]

“I absolutely read the book in its entirety before I ever got the chance to meet Denis, and the part of the role that excited me the most was that Herbert was perhaps dismayed that Paul was seen as a hero when people first read the book,” Chalamet said. “He felt it was more complicated. Paul is caught between wanting to be confirmed in how he sees himself, but ultimately faces a bigger destiny, one that’s quite dark and violent and involves a lot of death and destruction.”

The fan base for “Dune” in Korea has grown to the point that there is now a new slang term for fans of the books and films: dunechinja, a portmanteau of “Dune” and michinja, a Korean slang term for a person who is crazy about something. The craze in Korea is largely seen to be due to the fact that Korea is a country with high cinematic standards in general, but also because the material of “Dune” has universal appeal, according to the cast and director.

“I have been introduced to [the ‘Dune’ books] through Denis and had the privilege of getting to know the material through him, and his love and care for the books has translated into everything,” Zendaya said. “You feel such a responsibility and care because of that, and in the same sense I have fallen in love with this world too.”

A scene from "Dune: Part Two" [WARNER BROS. KOREA]

The message of “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” centers on the relationship between religion and power — how the two should be separated and a subtle criticism of both.

“I am rather a political person, and to me it is very important — the essence of the story is the warning for the messiah types,” Skarsgard said. “It is also a criticism of religion, which I am also criticizing.”

A scene from "Dune: Part Two" [WARNER BROS. KOREA]

“Dune: Part Two” was the biggest challenge so far for Villeneuve, who also directed big blockbuster sci-fi films such as “Sicario” (2015), “Arrival” (2016) and “Blade Runner 2049” (2017).

“When I read the book, what really moved me at first was the idea of a young man falling in love with another culture and finding home in another culture,” Villeneuve said. “As a filmmaker, I would say that ‘Dune: Part Two’ is a much more muscular movie. The action and the amount of action sequences — it brought humility to my heart. I hope everyone in Korea will go to the cinema to watch it.”

BY LIM JEONG-WON [lim.jeongwon@joongang.co.kr]