When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission.Heres how it works.
Dune is Paul’s story, undoubtedly, but he’s not the one writing it.
In sci-fi and genre fiction more generally, though, motherhood is often monstrous.

The Bene Gesserit are mothers, but they’re not maternal.
“Shes still Lady Jessica, the main architect of the story.
I thought that was a very powerful idea that was not sustained in the book.

I made sure that she has the character presence in the second part.”
Heavily pregnant with a baby girl, her position as a mother is solidified with every frame.
Her pregnancy reinforces her status rather than undermining it.

The Emperor’s daughter Irulan (Florence Pugh) represents a different kind of femininity.
“Chani is my secret weapon in this adaptation,“Villeneuve told GamesRadar+of her increased role.
With a reimagined focus on motherhood, why erase Chani’s?

Would it have looked and felt different to Jessica’s?
Dune: Part Two is out now in cinemas.
For more on the movie, check out the rest of our coverage:


















