Warning: This article contains spoilers for Dune: Part 2.
Denis Villeneuve has explained why he had to make the “painful choice” of cutting someone he “absolutely loves” from Dune: Part 2, even though the character featured in the second half of Frank Herbert’s novel.
Dune: Part 2 premiered in theaters on March 1, with audiences turning out in droves to follow Paul Atreides on his mythic journey alongside Chani and the Fremen. This time, however, Paul doesn’t have the company of Thufir Hawat (played by Stephen McKinley Henderson in Part 1) because he ended up on the cutting room floor.
Thufir plays a small but critical role in the latter portion of the 1965 Dune novel. The Harkonnens capture Thufir and put him to work as the Baron’s new Mentat, but Thufir continues to quietly scheme against the Harkonnens and maneuver Feyd-Rautha against his uncle. In the end, Thufir chooses to die rather than betray Paul.
Villeneuve told Entertainment Weekly that the decision to change up the source material and remove Thufir from the sequel was a difficult one but served the purpose of the adaptation, as he found there was less need for Mentats (aka specially trained individuals who have conditioned themselves to operate as living computers).
“One of the most painful choices for me on this one was Thufir Hawat,” Villeneuve admitted. “He’s a character I absolutely love, but I decided right at the beginning that I was making a Bene Gesserit adaptation. That meant that Mentats are not as present as they should be, but it’s the nature of the adaptation.”
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya lead the returning cast and newcomers of Dune: Part 2, which is off to a roaring start at the box office and has received rave reviews from critics. IGN called the sequel “an arresting, transportive middle entry in Denis Villeneuve’s tricky sci-fi saga” that sets the stage for Dune Messiah.
Adele Ankers-Range is a freelance entertainment writer for IGN. You can follow her on X/Twitter @AdeleAnkers.
About Author
