Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya lead an intergalactic battle in new “Dune” trailer

The delayed and less than desirable rollout of “Dune” got better this week with the release of a brand new trailer.

Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, the sci-fi thriller stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, whose family has inherited the responsibility of overseeing the production of the ‘blend’, a precious spice that can to confer superhuman powers on those who consume it, in the desert. planet of Arrakis. In no time, Paul finds himself at the center of an intergalactic power struggle against the rival House Harkonnen family.

In addition to Chalamet, “Dune” also stars Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Charlotte Rampling, Dave Bautista, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgård.

Reactions to the new trailer, which dropped on Thursday, have been mostly ecstatic.

“The source material is fantastic, the cast is incredibly talented, and the director’s previous work speaks for itself,” one person wrote. “The finished product looks awesome, and I can’t wait to see it.”

Added another: “I have never needed cinemas to open more than now.”

Fan anticipation for “Dune” has been building up for some time. In interviews, director Denis Villeneuve has described the film as his dream project, even though the story has been sadly difficult to adapt for the screen.

Originally slated for a December 2020 release, “Dune” has been postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Later, Warner Bros. announced that the film would be released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously this fall – a move Villeneuve lambasted in a scathing commentary for Variety soon after.

“The shooting is a collaboration, based on mutual trust of teamwork and Warner Bros. has declared that they are no longer part of the same team,” wrote the French-Canadian director, whose credits include “Blade Runner 2049 “. “Warner Bros. may have just killed the ‘Dune’ franchise.”

Likewise, Chalamet made his allegiances clear when he hosted “Saturday Night Live” in December of last year. During the show’s final moments, he appeared in a sweatshirt with the logo of Legendary Entertainment, the production company behind “Dune,” which was considering legal action against Warner Bros. about the HBO Max deal.