Giant worms, political betrayals, a shadowy religious order ruled by mysterious women, and a ton of sand. That’s the story of Dune, an epic sci-fi saga about two noble houses that seek to control the production of spice, an extremely valuable psychedelic substance found only on the planet Arrakis. 

When 2024’s Dune: Part Two begins, the message is clear: “Power over spice is power over all.” The film picks up where its 2021 predecessor Dune ended, with House Harkonnen and House Atreides fighting for control of Arrakis, while the Fremen people native to the desert planet seek liberation from the outsiders who ravage their lands. Meanwhile, the Bene Gesserit, a holy order of women who have quietly been working to gain control over the galaxy, have their own agenda to bring forth the Kwisatz Haderach, a super-being with the power to hold the universe’s collective memory and lead humanity to stability. It’s a noble goal, but one that may ultimately be impossible to achieve with royal houses interested primarily in preserving their own rule. 

But the spiciest (literally) part of Dune might be the giant, territorial sandworms at the center of some of the most important developments in the story, from a messianic prophecy to the Fremen way of life.

Read on to learn all about the world of Dune: Part Two, now streaming on Netflix in the US.

What happens in Dune: Part Two?

Grab your stillsuit and your filt-plugs because we have a lot of desert to cover. Dune: Part Two picks up where the first film left off, as Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and his mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), find themselves in the deserts of Arrakis and at the whim of the native Fremen people who live there. Paul works hard to gain their trust and learn their way of life, thanks to Chani (Zendaya), who teaches him how to navigate the desert and ride giant sandworms. These new skills also help him rise to power among the Fremen, who believe he is the Lisan al Gaib, a prophesied messiah whose arrival they have awaited for centuries. Paul reluctantly takes on this role, initially driven by his desire to liberate the Fremen. But he also sees an opportunity to get revenge against House Harkonnen and Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV (Christopher Walken), who conspired to destroy House Atreides during the events of the first film. 

Meanwhile, Lady Jessica has an agenda of her own. As a member of the shadowy political and religious order of Bene Gesserit, Lady Jessica knows that her people planted the prophecy of Lisan al Gaib on Arrakis. And now that Paul is gaining the trust of the Fremen, she does everything in her power to foster their faith in her son in order to further the goals of the Bene Gesserit. But she just might also initiate a holy war in the process. 

Over time — and with his continued exposure to spice enhancing his precognitive abilities — Paul begins to see the events of the future with more clarity, and must decide whether to choose House Atreides or all of humanity. No pressure!

Who’s in the cast of Dune: Part Two? 

• Timothée Chalamet (The King, A Complete Unknown) as Paul Atreides
• Zendaya (Malcolm & Marie, Euphoria) as Chani
• Rebecca Ferguson (The Greatest Showman, Silo) as Lady Jessica Atreides
• Javier Bardem (MONSTERS: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story, No Country for Old Men) as Stilgar
• Josh Brolin (No Country for Old Men, Inherent Vice) as Gurney Halleck
• Austin Butler (Elvis, The Dead Don’t Die) as Feyd-Rautha
• Florence Pugh (Oppenheimer, The Wonder) as Princess Irulan
• Dave Bautista (Glass Onion, Blade Runner 2049) as Beast Rabban
• Christopher Walken (Severance, Catch Me If You Can) as The Emperor
• Léa Seydoux (The French Dispatch, No Time to Die) as Lady Margot Fenring
• Stellan Skarsgård (Good Will Hunting, Melancholia) as Baron Harkonnen
• Charlotte Rampling (Melancholia, Assassin’s Creed) as Reverend Mother Mohiam
• Souheila Yacoub (Climax) as Shishakli
• Roger Yuan (Skyfall) as Lanville
• Babs Olusanmokun (Wrath of Man) as Jamis

Is Dune: Part Two based on a book?

Like its predecessor, Dune, the sequel is based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. The first movie is adapted from the first part of the novel, and Dune: Part Two covers the events of the second half of the book. While there are changes in the film adaptation, the movie follows the same general narrative and themes of the original story, as Paul discovers a “narrow way” forward to overcome his family’s enemies. 

Where can I watch Dune: Part Two?

Dune: Part Two is streaming now on Netflix in the US.