Movies
Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho in 'Dune'

These Dune Memes Will Have You Laughing All The Way To Arrakis

Just because people like the movie, it doesn't mean they can't still poke fun at it.

by Ani Bundel
Warner Bros. Pictures

After a yearlong delay, Dune has finally arrived. The new adaptation of one of science fiction’s most iconic stories hit both theaters and HBO Max with a sandy splash. The film brought in $40 million on opening weekend and dominated social media from those watching at home. Unlike the original 1984 film by David Lynch, the new adaptation is far from a flop, with an 83% fresh rating and an even higher 91% fresh audience score on Rotten Tomatoes. But the Dune memes also came thick and fast as viewers enjoyed poking fun at the film’s self-serious tone.

Science fiction and fantasy works usually take themselves seriously. (After all, if they don’t, who will?) Game of Thrones, for instance, treated the fight for the Iron Throne as the life-or-death fight it was. Dune also takes the battle to control the spice trade as a thing of utmost importance. After all, if characters are willing to commit murder over it, it must be important.

But the series also has plenty of hallmarks of science fiction series. For instance, the names. House Atreides features Leto, Gurney, Thufir, and... Paul and Jessica. Moreover, it has a badass character called Duncan Idaho. (What, was Ben Nebraska taken?) And then there’s the design of the deadly sandworms, which is perhaps not totally safe for work. The result is fans having a ball over the series’ foibles while still loving the overall story.

Let’s talk about everyone’s favorite fighter, Duncan Idaho. If Dunkin Donuts is not cashing in on this with the Duncan Spice Latte, what are we even doing here?

And of course, there is Oscar Isaac and Oscar Isaac’s Well-Oiled Beard, both of which should be up for Academy Awards this coming February.

But of course, the real hero of Dune is Paul and his feelings about spice and sandworms.

But let’s be real about who everyone really came to see.

Dune is in theaters worldwide and streaming on HBO Max.