Witnessing Paul Atreides summon and ride a sandworm was one of the biggest moments of Dune: Part Two, but some fans have been left wondering just how the hell the Freman get off the giant critters.
Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve told IndieWire that he repeatedly gets questions regarding sandworm disembarkation and teased that he has thought of a solution. “I knew how. I found a way,” Villeneuve said. “It was not dramatically necessary in ‘Part Two’ to see someone get out of the worm, but I know how to do it. And I can’t wait to put that on screen.” However, the folks at Giant Freakin Robot did their homework and discovered that the answer can already be found in Frank Herbert’s Dune novels.
As seen in the sequel, the Freman use hooks, known as maker hooks, to attach themselves to the scales of the sandworm. As the hooks are rather irritating, this allows the riders to steer the massive creature by applying pressure in one direction or another. However, sandworms do get tired, and when this happens, the riders simply remove the hooks, which causes the worm to start to slow and lower itself into the sand, at which point the rider simply jumps off.
That may not be the most thrilling answer, but it is the simplest. Villeneuve may have something different in mind, and if he gets to make Dune: Messiah, perhaps we’ll finally get to see it.
Our own Chris Bumbray gave the Dune sequel a rave review. “In this day of assembly line blockbusters, it’s a miracle that director Denis Villeneuve has managed to get not one but two incredible, uncompromised epics like this through the studio system,” he wrote. “It works as a tentpole blockbuster, but Dune Part Two is also filmmaking at the highest level. It’s a real cinematic event everyone owes it to themselves to take in and hopefully won’t be forgotten come Oscar time. It’s a masterpiece.” You can check out the rest of Bumbray’s review right here.
Dune: Part Two will “explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” The film is now playing in theaters, so be sure to let us know what you thought of it!