This Is What Happens Next In Dune Messiah...
State of the Empire
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“Dune Messiah” opens 12 years after the conclusion of “Dune.” Paul Muad'Dib Atreides is the new Emperor of the Known Universe. His holy war has raged across the stars, leaving 61 billion people dead. He’s a figure of worship for the Fremen, as is his now 15 year old sister Alia Atreides, who’s revered as a saint. While Paul has married Princess Irulan, she’s his wife in name only; Chani remains his true love. Paul’s lack of an heir causes tension. Irulan has been slipping her rival contraceptives, which Paul knows, but allows, because he’s foreseen that Chani will die in childbirth. It’ll be interesting to see how this setup changes in a future film adaptation, based on the conflict that Denis Villeneuve introduced between Paul and Chani in “Dune: Part Two”.
The Players
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Chafing under the new Emperor’s regime, several major factions plot against him. These include Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, and Paul’s nominal wife Princess Irulan. Mohiam seeks to salvage their breeding program, while Irulan’s pride is hurt. The final conspirators are Edric, a Spacing Guild Navigator, whose prescience conceals the plotters by association, and Scytale, a Tleilaxu ‘Face Dancer’ who can change his appearance at will. The Tleilaxu specialize in genetic manipulation, and have grown a ghola - a clone from cells taken after death - of none other than Duncan Idaho to destroy Paul and Alia. Now known as Hayt (spelled ‘H-a-y-t’), he lacks memories of his previous life, has metal eyes, and is both a Mentat and philosopher. (Here’s hoping Jason Mamoa returns). Besides the aforementioned conspirators, other major players include the Tleilaxu dwarf Bijaz, as well as the Fremen High Priest Korba. Lady Jessica is mentioned, but is far off on Caladan - something else that might change in a film adaptation, given her larger role in the films (and just how great Rebecca Ferguson was in the role!).
Themes
Despite the relatively small cast of characters, “Dune Messiah” remains very much Paul’s story and it tackles some big ideas. If “Dune” is about Paul’s rise to power as a hero, then the sequel is about his downfall and the negatives of hero worship. Speaking of worship, religion is another major throughline, with the book addressing how the worshippers affect the worshiped and vice versa. Guilt also plays a major role, since Paul struggles with the people his war and reign have killed, as well as how his foreknowledge leads him to manipulate his loved ones. In that same vein, fate features prominently too. Paul constantly feels trapped by the future he foresees.
A Gift
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But let’s return to the ‘present.’ Edric arrives on Arrakis and offers Hayt to Paul. Despite Hayt admitting that it’s likely his purpose is to destroy him, Paul accepts Hayt into his service. Alia is also intrigued by the pseudo-Duncan Idaho. Can’t say we blame her - have you seen Jason Mamoa? Meanwhile, Reverend Mother Mohiam, who was banned from Arrakis, is imprisoned. She urges Irulan to kill Chani after learning that Chani has switched up her diet, which will likely lead to her becoming pregnant with an heir - outside the Bene Gesserit’s designs.
A Plot Among the Fremen
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Alia, whose pre-born status leaves her feeling alienated from others, practices her swordplay against a target dummy - in the nude. We’re guessing that might get toned down for the big screen. She’s interrupted by Paul and Stilgar, who are very uncomfortable, but update her on a Guild plot to capture a sandworm and take it offworld - creating a new source of Spice. And for that, they’d need Fremen help. Alia is concerned that Paul’s followers are imitating his future sight with fortune telling, clouding the future for both of them. Later, Edric suggests members of Paul’s own government may be involved in the plot to steal the worm.
Alia & Hayt
When the body of a young woman shows up, Paul sends Alia and Hayt into the desert. The two of them flirt as they investigate - here’s hoping Villeneuve shortens that age gap. Alia eventually realizes that, since no one has reported a girl missing, they may be dealing with a Face Dancer, who can shapeshift to imitate a person’s appearance. Paul nearly overdoses on Spice to perceive the future, only to see a moon falling - representative of Chani’s death. He attempts to confide in Hayt, seeing more man than ghola in him.
An Offer to Save Chani
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Suspecting that his enemies seek to kill Chani, Paul tries bargaining with the Reverend Mother. He’ll act as a donor for Irulan - he’ll contribute to their breeding program, but the child won’t be his heir. Mohiam agrees to consult with the Bene Gesserit council, but they delay in responding. Chani discovers that she’s been fed contraceptives and wants to kill Irulan. But Paul, who has seen her die in childbirth, asks Chani to forgive Irulan without explaining why. Chani soon becomes pregnant - which is both happy and dire news for them both.
Stoneburner
Scytale, disguised as the dead girl Alia investigated, requests that Paul visit her father, Otheym, one of his Fremen commandos, claiming he has evidence of a Fremen plot against him. Although well aware it’s a trap, Paul is able to convince his advisors to let him go, albeit with security. Otheym provides Paul with Bijaz, a Tleilaxu dwarf who acts as a living record of all the conspirators. Paul departs Otheym’s house and sends his men after some of the conspirators who live nearby. And then, Otheym’s home is hit by a Stoneburner, a nuclear-powered superweapon that could make quite the spectacle on the big screen. The destructive attack kills many, but the real danger is the radiation, which affects human eyes specifically. Paul, and many of his followers, have been blinded.
Sight Without Sight
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Despite ensuring all his men receive artificial eyes like Hayt’s, Paul refuses them - he doesn’t need them. Using prescience, he can still ‘see’ everything that happens around him. Some Fremen insist he suffer the traditional fate of all their blind - going alone into the desert. Nevertheless, he’s able to forestall them by charging the Fremen conspirators, including his head official Korba, with setting off the Stoneburner, and stealing a sandworm. They’re not the only ones on trial, as Hayt interrogates Bijaz. The dwarf instead proves to have the upper hand, implanting a hypnotic suggestion for Hayt to assassinate Paul upon learning of Chani’s death.
Birth, Death, & Confrontation
After a much accelerated pregnancy, Chani returns to Sietch Tabr with Paul to give birth. As Paul ‘looks’ out at the desert, he hears Chani call his name and knows she’s dead, telling Hayt. Although the ghola’s programming activates, Paul addressing him as Duncan Idaho, as well as the conflicting desires to kill and protect Paul, snap him back to his original self. Paul also finds himself now truly blind. Paul and Duncan go to Chani’s body, and discover, to Paul’s surprise, that she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. He names his daughter Ghanima, and his unforeseen son Leto.
Into the Desert
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Paul’s newborn children are soon threatened by Scytale, who demands that Paul accept a ghola of Chani. Realizing that there’ll be strings attached, Paul kills Scytale, able to do so by seeing through Leto’s eyes. Bijaz repeats the offer, and Paul has Duncan kill him. Alia, who has had the rest of the conspirators killed, joins Duncan in looking out at the desert. Now that his Empire has an heir, Paul has departed - alone and blind. He’s no longer Muad'Dib or the Emperor. Paul leaves his legacy as a man, not a messiah.
A “Dune Messiah” Film
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We’ve speculated a few times on what Denis Villeneuve could do with the source material, and there are as many possibilities as those seen by Paul himself. Will the time jump be adjusted? Will some parts be recast? Could we see the holy war in depth? How will Paul win Chani back? The political scheming is much more prominent in this story than in “Dune.” Will this lend it more of a political thriller vibe? All these questions certainly haunt us. However, most of all, we’re wondering - what do you want to see from a film adaptation of “Dune Messiah?” Let your hopes flow like the Spice in the comments!
