As the civil war rages on, a man of privileged birth decides to marry a woman from a poor family, even though he clearly loves someone else. Is this proposal motivated by love or convenience? Does the woman reciprocate the affection, or is she protecting herself from a classist and sexist society? Are we talking about "Little Women" or "Dune" ?
Yes. Dune: Part 2, the jaw-dropping sequel to Denis Villeneuve's 2021 sci-fi drama, features one of the most surprising twists: fashionista-turned-internet baby girl Timothy Chai Timothée Chalamet unexpectedly reprized his role from 2019's Little Women .
If you're new to the Duny universe , Chalamet plays aristocrat Paul Atridus, a hard-hearted guy determined to save the people of Arrakis from class oppression. Dune: Part 2 is one of the year's great epics, brilliantly capturing the political and social cautionary tale of the original novel. If you somehow missed Greta Gerwig's Oscar-nominated Little Women , first of all: shame on you. But in this adaptation of Louisa May Alcott's 19th-century novel, Chalamet plays Theodore "Laurie" Lawrence, also a wealthy man determined to survive during the American Civil War Help the March family. There are spoilers for Dune : Part 2 .
Of course, Laurie isn't Paul 's protagonist in "Little Women," but in both stories, each character exists in a world of women -- whether it's the hard-working March sisters or the female protagonist in "Dune." Bene Gesserit.
They both tend to be progressive compared to their male counterparts, as evidenced by their (wild! eccentric!) desire to be considered equal to the women they love. In Little Women , Laurie is constantly trying to impress Jo March (Saoirse Ronan) instead of the other way around. In "Dune: Part 2 ," Paul makes it clear, telling Chani (Zendaya), "I want to be your equal."
Mentors also play a key role in both characters: Paul's teachers Gurney Halleck (Josh Brolin) and Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa); and Laurie tutor Mr. John Brooke (played by James Norton). Similar to how Paul and Laurie treat women as equals, they do the same with their coaches, who are both of a lower class than the main men.
So they're clearly good people, but that doesn't mean their relationship is smooth sailing. In Little Women , Laurie is rejected by Jo so that she can pursue a writing career. (Heartbroken, he later reunited with and married her sister Amy (played by "Dune" actor Florence Pugh).) Oddly enough, Paul went through a similar episode in "Dune." A tangled romance - also with Pew.
In the new movie, Pugh plays Princess Irulan. Think of her as the Amy March of Arrakis. Sure, she doesn't have Amy's comedic talents, but she does have five sisters (according to the book), and that's just the tip of the iceberg of their similarities.
At the end of the film, Yirulan agrees to marry Paul as his "willing bride" to save her family and heal the political rift. You can see a hint of adoration for Paul in her eyes, so she clearly respects him even if it's a matter of expediency.
As the Dune series continues, Irulan begins to fall in love with Paul, although his heart will always belong to Charney, the reincarnation of Joe March.
If you look at the adorable sandwalk scene between Paul and Charney early in the new movie, you can see Chalamet performing some of Laurie's tricks. He would project his authority on a certain subject (in this case: the safest way to cross an alien desert), but then back off and defer to the ladies present. The same goes for "Little Women," where Amy and Laurie reunite in France. There was an unpleasant, arrogant quality about him, but he was aware of it. Walking this line is arguably the key to Chalamet’s appeal in both stories.
Look, Chalamet (and Pugh) didn't plan on doing this. Or maybe they did? In a 2021 interview for my book The Spice Must Flow , Chalamet said he had the courage to make Dune because the experience of Little Women gave him some confidence to create another beloved film. Favorite novel. "That's something I learned from Greta Gerwig," Chalamet said. "No one minds another good adaptation of a good book."
