User:LancedSoul/sandbox/Dune 2021 plot

Prologue
Before the movie starts, a phrase in an alien language is shown and heard as a caption with the English translation, "Dreams are messages from the deep." appears on a black background. Afterwards, it starts with Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures logo.

"My planet Arrakis is so beautiful when the sun is low. Rolling over the sands, you can see the spice in the air. At nightfall the spice harvesters land. The outsiders race against time to avoid the heat of the day. They ravage our lands in front of our eyes. Their cruelty to my people is all I've known. What's to become of our world, Paul?"

- Chani

The story begins with a woman telling a portion of her people's history on the desert planet, Arrakis. The woman, Chani, is a Fremen. She explains that since before she was born the planet has been ruled by the cruel Harkonnens who have grown enormously rich harvesting the psychogenic substance "melange" also known as the spice. The Fremen have been trying to expel the Harkonnens, but to no avail. Recently, however, the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV has ordered the Harkonnens to leave Arrakis planet. Chani wonders who the new rulers will be.

Main Story
In 10191, on Caladan planet, Paul Atreides eats breakfast with his mother the Lady Jessica Atreides. A member of the quasi-religious order of the Bene Gesserit, Jessica has been trying to teach her son the special powers of her order. She tests Paul by having him try to compel her to pass him a glass of water. Paul is only partially successful. Paul learns about the planet Arrakis and its people. It is the only source of the psychoactive spice, which extends life and perception. Spice is necessary for interstellar travel since it makes possible the expanded consciousness of the navigators who plot faster than light jumps, "folding" space time to travel instantly from one planet to another. Paul's father, Duke Leto Atreides, along with soldier Gurney Halleck and mentat Thufir Hawat, receive an imperial envoy who formalizes the awarding of Arrakis to House Atreides. The emperor fears Leto's growing political power and popularity in the Landsraad, a conclave of noble houses. Leto recognizes that his appointment to oversee Arrakis is a trap of some kind, but cannot refuse an imperial offer. Paul asks his friend, the elite soldier Duncan Idaho to take him along when Duncan goes to Arrakis weeks ahead of time to scout things out. Duncan refuses. Paul confides that he's been having dreams about Arrakis and the Fremen, including one where Duncan falls in battle. Duncan dismisses this as merely a dream, telling Paul that "Everything important happens when we're awake".

Paul discusses his wish to travel to Arrakis early with his father, but Leto refuses, saying that he needs Paul by his side. He explains the political situation: the emperor has set up a conflict between House Atreides and House Harkonnen, a war which will weaken them both, to the benefit of the Emperor. Leto instead intends to strike an alliance with the Fremen in order to harness their "desert power" to his own and outwit the Emperor. Paul expresses his doubts about his ability to succeed his father as a leader. Leto confides his own doubts when he was young and insists that Paul will find his way to leadership, just as he did.

Days later, Paul is awoken during the night by his mother, Jessica, with news that Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam has arrived and wants to inquire about the strange dreams he has been having. Jessica explains that Mohiam is a respected — and high ranking member — of the Bene Gesserit; Paul is aware that the Bene Gesserit is an all-female group of spies and theologians who have enhanced powers. Paul has been training as a member of the Bene Gesserit under his mother. After being warned about the Bene Gesserit by a doctor, Paul enters the room and meets Mohiam. She subjects him to a test involving a poison needle called a gom jabbar. Despite being warned that failing the test would result in his death, Paul passes the test and is congratulated by Mohiam. As Mohiam leaves, she talks with Jessica about Paul being The One. Paul overhears the conversation and questions Jessica about it. Jessica reveals that the Bene Gesserit have been manipulating bloodline for centuries to eventually create someone who is capable of bringing peace to the houses. She remarks that some believe The One is already here.

Weeks later, House Atreides arrive on Arrakis with their soldiers. They are welcomed by a group of Atreides soldiers sent previously to get things ready. When they arrive, they are welcomed by the Fremen, who loudly chant “Lisan al Gaib”. Paul questions his mother on the meaning, and she reveals that it translates to “prophet”, or “messiah”, and means that the Bene Gesserit have been at work. Paul rebukes her, questioning if this means that they have been instilling superstition, but she merely replies that they have been getting things ready for the arrival. House Atreides settle in Arrakeen, the capital of Arrakis built by the Harkonnen. Arrakeen, Thufir Hawat notes, lies behind a large, natural wall that protects it from the powerful sandstorms that ravage the surface.

Shortly after her talk with Paul and Jessica, Mohiam travels to Giedi Prime, the homeworld of House Harkonnen, and explains that the emperor supports their battle to usurp House Atreides from Arrakis, therefore ending the house and taking back control of Arrakis. Mohiam explains, however, that Jessica is under the protection of the Bene Gesserit, and by extension, Paul too. Vladimir agrees to spare them reluctantly, but makes it clear after Mohiam leaves that they are not safe from Arrakis.

Only days after their arrival at Arrakeen, Leto is informed that the equipment left by Harkonnen is substandard and the majority malfunctions; Leto believes that they have been set up to fail. Nonetheless, Leto, Paul and other figureheads of the house are invited on a tour of the operation in which they are shown a spice harvester in the desert by Dr, Liet-Kynes, the judge of change. Problems occur, however, when a sandworm approaches the harvester, drawn to the rhythmic sounds it emits. An extraction attempt is made, but the gear on the carryall fails and the harvester cannot be lifted to safety. Leto orders that the crew of 21 aboard be saved by transferring to Leto's small squadron of ornithopters. Further problems arise when Paul nearly falls victim to the sandworm but finds his visions intensified following the inhalation of the product in the spice bed.

House Atreides face further dangers in Arrakeen, when an attempt is made on Paul’s life. The attempt fails, but Leto puts the guards on high-alert. Only days later, the traitor is revealed to be Wellington Yueh, a Suk Doctor and friend of Jessica’s. Yueh disables the shields protecting Arrakeen and blocks Atreides’ communications, allowing a coalition of Harkonnen and Sardaukar troops to invade the city. Thousands of Atreides soldiers are killed and the Atreides stronghold falls. Yueh is able to incapacitate Leto, and explains that Baron Vladimir — the ruler of House Harkonnen — has taken his wife and he has made a bargain with the Duke’s life to retrieve his wife. Yueh replaces one of Leto’s teeth with a poison replica, citing that he must break the tooth when close enough to the Baron and release the poison. It will kill the Duke but should also kill the Baron.

During the invasion, Jessica and Paul are taken hostage by Harkonnen soldiers, who plan to eject them from the ship into the desert. In a desperate attempt to save his mother from being raped by the soldiers, Paul uses the voice of the Bene Gesserit, allowing his mother to be ungagged and command the soldiers to kill one another. Both Jessica and Paul are able to escape into the desert where they find a survival kit they have been left by Yueh. As the two sleep in the desert, it quickly becomes clear to the two that Leto is dead when they find House Atreides signet ring in the kit; as a result, Jessica welcomes Paul as the new Duke of Atreides.

Meanwhile, back at Arrakeen, Yueh, despite fulfilling his part of the bargain and delivering the Duke to the Baron, is murdered by the Baron, who remarks that he is reuniting him with his wife in death, just as he promised. Moments later, Leto comes around from the poison dart, and is told by the Baron that Jessica and Paul are now dead. Leto is able to crush the tooth and release the poison. The majority of the court is killed by the vapor but the Baron is able to evade death, having deployed his shield only moments prior. He is later turned over to a group of healers who submerge him in a vat of dark oil. He receives a report from Rabban, who tells the Baron that Paul and Jessica flew into a sandstorm of incredible power and could not have survived.

Alone in the desert after their long night, Jessica and Paul are eventually found by Duncan, who brings the two to an old research station where they meet with Kynes. Kynes explains that the research station was created to bring life and greenery to Arrakis, but after the discovery of spice, plans were cancelled in favor of the desert. Not long after their arrival, however, they are found by Sardaukar troops. Several Fremen are killed during the attack and Duncan also falls as a result, joining his master, Leto in death. Kynes, Paul and Jessica are able to escape the facility, but Kynes is soon discovered by the troops and is stabbed through the chest with a blade. In a desperate attempt to protect the future of House Atreides, Kynes thumps the ground, attracting a sandworm and allowing herself and the troops to be swallowed by the merciless creature. Aware of the huge financial impacts that the coup has had on House Harkonnen — and the debt owed to the Emperor — Vladimir transfers control of Arrakis to his nephew, the cruel and sadistic Rabban. He orders Rabban to sell Harkonnen’s spice reserves and restart production, but not to sell too much as the price of spice would fall.

Jessica and Paul come face-to-face with a sandworm. After fleeing the research facility and stealing an ornithopter, Paul and Jessica eventually crash in the desert. Fearing they will be devoured by a sandworm, they scramble to the rocks but Paul finds himself face-to-face with a sandworm. He is surprised, however, when the sandworm merely looks at him instead of attacking. The worm is distracted momentarily by someone activating a thumper nearby. Whilst Paul and Jessica are thankful, Paul uses signs to alert Jessica that they are not alone. A seconds later, they are surrounded by Fremen. Among them, the Fremen are lead by Stilgar, but Paul finds himself mesmerized by Chani, the woman from his dreams.

Fremen are reluctant to allow Paul and Jessica refuge, but eventually decide to do so when Jessica shows the two are good fighters. Tensions arise, however, when Jamis, a member of the tribe, protests against their joining and challenges Jessica to a duel. Given Jessica is a woman, she is unable to fight and Paul is forced to represent her. Despite being a skilled fighter, Jamis is bested by Paul and killed shortly after the start of the duel. Jessica is reluctant in joining the Fremen, but Paul insists, and the two join the Fremen on their journey to the stronghold with the aim of bringing peace to Arrakis. The movie ends with Chani says to Paul this is only the beginning.