Austin, TX

How the filmmakers brought 'Dune: Part Two' to life

Published

8 months ago

March 17, 2024

How the filmmakers brought 'Dune: Part Two' to life

AUSTIN, Texas — Author Frank Herbert’s 1965 science fiction classic “Dune” was long considered unfilmable. Much of the narrative unfolds in internal monologue. It’s notoriously complicated and explores religion, politics, ecology and technology.

What You Need To Know

“Dune: Part Two” released in March 2024 to rave reviews and a gross of nearly $380 million worldwide

A panel at South by Southwest in Austin, Texas, “Dune Two, Real-Time Tech & the Implications for Storytelling,” delved into how real-time tools and processes helped to bring the blockbuster sequel to life

Film co-producer Jessica Derhammer said director Denis Villeneuve would shoot everything practically if he could but visual effects were needed

One of the tools the filmmakers used was Unreal Engine, which allowed them to pre-visualize locations and even characters

Cult filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted a film adaptation in the 1970s. It was canceled because of its inflating budget.

In 1984, David Lynch’s “Dune” was released to negative reviews. It was confusing to audiences, largely because its 132-minute runtime jettisoned pivotal information.

A 2000 miniseries fared a little better. Aired on the Sci-Fi Channel, “Frank Herbert’s Dune” won two Emmy Awards and received some critical praise. Still, it was limited by budget. A sequel miniseries, “Frank Herbert’s Children of Dune,” followed in 2003.

It wasn’t until 2021’s “Dune” that Herbert’s epic was translated to the screen in a way that was satisfying to most of the novel’s fans. At the helm was director Denis Villeneuve, who also co-wrote the screenplay and co-produced.

Villeneuve – who previously directed 2015’s “Sicario,” 2016’s “Arrival” and 2017’s “Blade Runner 2049” – has stated in interviews several times that bringing “Dune” to the big screen has been his dream since childhood.

“Dune: Part Two” released in March 2024 and garnered more praise than the 2021 film, grossing nearly $380 million worldwide against a $190 million budget.

Unreal Engine helps power ‘Dune’

A South by Southwest panel this week, “Dune Two, Real-Time Tech & the Implications for Storytelling,” delved deep into how real-time tools and processes helped to bring the blockbuster sequel to life.

“Dune: Part Two” co-producer Jessica Derhammer joined filmmaker and self-described “frontier technologist” Brian Frager with Epic Games to discuss how the production balanced the practical with pre-visualization to best represent Herbert’s space epic.

According to Derhammer, Villeneuve wanted to “do everything practical and true and stay on site.” That wasn’t completely possible with a film of this magnitude, however. That’s where Unreal Engine came in.

Developed by Epic Games, Unreal Engine, a series of 3D computer graphics game engines, was created for PC first-shooters but has been adopted by other industries, most notably the film industry.

“This was a perfect, perfect situation and perfect software (with which) Deni had created his vision. (Cinematographer) Greig (Fraser) had put his touches on it, and Patrice (Vermette), our designer, had put his touches on it. And then we as a production came in and was like, ‘OK, so what do you need?’ Derhammer said.

Frager explained that the technology allowed the crew to pre-visualize sets and even characters. Drones can even be deployed to scout locations, and that data can be inputted to Unreal.

Unreal tech was combined by Villeneuve with traditional storyboards.

“As far as the creative side, very much there’s storyboards all throughout. That’s Deni’s love language – storyboards. That’s how he gets his vision out,” she said. “And then there were more problematic situations where we then brought in Unreal. Problematic means it’s a desert, we don’t know what we’re doing, or there’s an interior ornithopter that’s being built.”

“They didn’t replace each other, they kind of worked in tandem,” Derhammer explained.

VFX bolsters the practical

“Dune: Part Two” had two principal locations. The vast deserts were captured in Abu Dhabi. Rock formations were mostly shot in Jordan. Sets were constructed on massive stages.

“We all very quickly learned that there’s a lot of prep to do in the desert. We were spending two months total in the desert. We spent about one month in Jordan and one month in Abu Dhabi, but we were prepping it from Budapest,” Derhammer said.

Derhammer said Villeneuve would shoot everything practically if he could, but visual effects were needed. One example is the ornithopter, the preferred flying machine on the planet Arrakis. Unlike a helicopter, the vehicles fly like birds.

“There’s more practical than you would think because we’re in the location. Obviously all the ornithopters are visual effects,” she said. “A lot of the explosions, there are elements later placed in, but even the explosions we did real. We exploded a bunch of stuff in the desert to capture it in the light and then VFX put that into a thing. A lot of the flying stuff that you see, they’re real helicopters in the sky.”

Derhammer said that while technology like Unreal isn’t practical for all filming situations, it’s something she recommends her fellow producers familiarize themselves with.

“I would encourage many people in my position to explore Unreal, to explore other pre-visualization techniques that can help you support your director as much as you can,” she said. “And this was what this was all about – how we can support our director.”

Villeneuve’s dream

Derhammer said that what ultimately drove the enormous production crew and A-list cast was Villeneuve’s enthusiasm and a deep desire to give life to his vision.

“He’s so passionate. When he says, ‘I deeply love that,’ you’re like, ‘OK, we’re moving on.’ You want it for him. You want to see him succeed because this is his childhood dream. He does not hide it; he shows it,” she said.

Villeneuve has stated he’d like to make a third film, an adaptation of Herbert’s first sequel novel, “Dune Messiah.” Derhammer said she wouldn’t change the approach.

“Probably a lot of the same thing. It was a pretty well-oiled machine by the time we were done with it. Maybe a little more prep time would be nice. It honestly ended so well, and I don’t think I would have changed a thing,” she said.

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Austin, TX

This Texas city ranks among 10 best to live in the US. See full list, how others scored

Published

16 mins ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

This Texas city ranks among 10 best to live in the US. See full list, how others scored

A Texas city has been named among the top ten U.S. cities to live in over the next two years.

Ten Texas cities were included in the U.S. News & World Report’s 2025-2026 Best Places to Live list. For the annual rankings, U.S. News analyzed 150 major cities in the U.S. based on quality of life, job market, value of living and people’s desire to live in the area.

How did your city fare on the list? Here’s a breakdown of the data.

LIST: 10 best US cities to live

Texas’ capital secured a spot in the top 10 places to live, as determined by U.S. News.

Naples, Florida
Boise, Idaho
Colorado Springs, Colorado
Greenville, South Carolina
Charlotte, North Carolina
Raleigh, North Carolina
Huntsville, Alabama
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Austin, Texas
Boulder, Colorado

Austin offers healthy balance of work and pleasure, US News says

Austin had an overall score of 6.8 out of 10, compared to Naples’ score of 7.1. The Texas capital also scored 6.8 in the quality of life index, with a value index score of 6.3.

“With the slogan ‘Keep Austin Weird,’ this Texas city is laid-back to the point that if you’re dressing up, it must be a life event,” the U.S. News analysis says. “People here enjoy the outdoors, even more so with their dogs. Austin has a contagious vibrancy and enthusiasm.”

U.S. News notes Austin’s strongest assets are a mix of work and pleasure. The number of companies headquartered in Austin makes it attractive to working professionals, especially those in technology, government, education, and health care. But the capital is far from being “all work, no play.” Its claim as the live music capital of the world invites music lovers to take a listen, whether at the airport, along streets downtown, or at one of the approximate 200 venues throughout the area.

Austin also ranked no. 32 on U.S. News’ Best Places to Retire in 2025 list.

LIST: Best Texas cities to live

Here are the rankings and scores U.S. News gave for the ten Texas cities included in the list:

Ranking	City	Overall Score	Quality of Life	Value Index
#9	Austin	6.8	6.8	6.3
#48	McAllen	6.4	6.6	7.6
#62	El Paso	6.3	6.5	7.3
#77	Corpus Christi	6.2	5.8	7.0
#87	Brownsville	6.2	6.2	7.7
#89	San Antonio	6.1	6.1	6.8
#95	Dallas	6.1	6.4	5.6
#97	Houston	6.1	5.9	6.2
#99	Beaumont	6.1	5.5	7.3
#107	Killeen	6.0	5.9	7.3

Table by Alexis Simmerman/American-Statesman | Data by U.S. News & World Report

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Austin, TX

(2013) Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin •

Published

8 hours ago

November 22, 2024

Press Room

(2013) Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin •

Abigail Noel FISHER, Petitioner v. UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN et al. No. 11-345. Supreme Court of United States. Argued October 10, 2012. Decided June 24, 2013. Bert W. Rein, Washington, DC, Petitioner. Gregory G. Garre, Washington, DC, for Respondents. Donald B. Verilli, Jr., for … Read More(2013) Fisher v. University of Texas at Austin

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Austin, TX

The drive by No. 3 Texas to top of SEC fueled by defense with Kentucky

Published

18 hours ago

November 21, 2024

Press Room

The drive by No. 3 Texas to top of SEC fueled by defense with Kentucky

AUSTIN, Texas — Look under the hood of Texas’ drive to the top of the Southeastern Conference standings in its first season in the league and it is easy to see what generates the horsepower: Defense.

Texas (9-1, 5-1 SEC) plays Kentucky (4-6, 1-6) on Saturday and the Longhorns rank No. 1 in total defense, No. 1 in fewest passing yards allowed and No. 4 in points allowed per game (11.6). With two games left in the regular season, the Longhorns are tied for first in the SEC and rank No. 3 in the College Football Playoff.

This is from the team that boasted the “All gas, no brakes” motto about explosive offense when coach Steve Sarkisian took over the program in 2021.

“I love it what we’re doing defensively,” Sarkisian said. “I don’t think our guys believe that anyone can move the ball on them, that anyone’s going to score. And that’s a beautiful thing to watch.”

Texas has allowed 10 points or less five times this season, which started with a shutout and includes two games of not allowing a touchdown. The secondary has surrendered just three passing touchdowns while taking away 15 interceptions. Senior cornerback Jahdae Barron leads the team with four.

“The experience of our secondary is what has led to this,” Sarkisian said of the turnover-to-touchdowns ratio. “We just don’t blow coverages … They make every pass feel contested.”

Texas needs a win in its final two games to stay on track for the SEC championship game and hold a position in the playoff hunt as one of the top four seeds. Kentucky would love to play the spoiler in an otherwise dismal season.

Texas will be Kentucky’s fourth opponent ranked seventh or higher. The Wildcats beat Mississippi in the first one, then lost to Georgia and Tennessee by a total of eight points. The Wildcats have played in a bowl the last eight seasons and need to win their final two games to keep that streak alive.

“I want to finish strong,” Kentucky coach Mark Stoops said.

Ewers’ final home game?

Texas junior quarterback Quinn Ewers may be playing his final home game at Texas. The three-year starter led the Longhorns to the playoff last season, then opted to return instead of turning pro. An abdomen injury has hampered his season, but Ewers has still passed for 1,898 yards and 21 touchdowns. He avoided a question from reporters if this could be his final home game. Texas will honor its seniors before kickoff.

Inside outside

Texas senior defensive tackle Alfred Collins had the best game of his career last week against Arkansas with a sack, and a forced fumble that helped closed out the victory. At 6-foot-5, 325 pounds, he has emerged as the dominant pocket pusher to compliment the edge rush of standout freshman Colin Simmons, who leads Texas with six sacks.

Waiting for Vandagriff

Ewers and Kentucky’s Brock Vandagriff were both ranked among the top high school quarterbacks in the country in the 2021 recruiting class. The Wildcats are waiting for the Georgia transfer to have a breakout game this season. He has passed for 1,542 yards, nine touchdowns and seven interceptions. His 243 yards passing in Kentucky’s win over Ole Miss were a career high.

Red zone matchup

Texas had another sluggish game on offense in last week’s win at Arkansas and now faces a Kentucky defense that rates among the best in the country when backed up near its own goal line. The Wildcats rank sixth nationally and best in the SEC in red zone defense.

Terrific tight end

For all of its speed on the edges in the passing attack, it is Texas tight end Gunnar Helm who has been the most reliable receiver from game to game. His 37 catches for a 493 yards lead the team in both categories and he has three touchdowns.

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