What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedDune
Frank Herbert · Book · 1965
If you loved Dune, start with Dune (Denis Villeneuve, 2021) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 films, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Dune across media.
What hooked you in Dune is the way vast, world-altering political machinations are inextricably tied to the destiny of individuals.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Dune
Denis Villeneuve · Film · 2021
Adaptation
Dune: Part Two
Film · 2024
Films on the same thread
Star Wars
George Lucas · Film · 1977
Shares 2 threads with Dune: Destiny, Space Opera.
Like Dune, this space opera centers on a young man thrust into a cosmic destiny, navigating a galaxy defined by the struggle between noble ideals and oppressive, galactic-scale power structures.
2001: A Space Odyssey
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1968
Shares a thread with Dune: Space Opera.
Fans of the grand, philosophical scope of Dune will appreciate how this film treats human evolution and the encounter with the unknown as a profound, civilization-defining shift in reality.
A Clockwork Orange
Stanley Kubrick · Film · 1971
Explores: Free Will vs. Determinism, Societal Control, Violence and Redemption.
Just as Dune examines the rigid structures of societal control, this film explores the psychological toll and moral ambiguity inherent in attempts to condition human behavior within a dystopian framework.
Children of Men
Alfonso Cuarón · Film · 2006
Shares a thread with Dune: Messianic Figure.
This story mirrors the messianic weight found in Dune, focusing on a singular individual who becomes the unlikely catalyst for the salvation and future of a crumbling, desperate human society.
Series on the same thread
Star Trek
Gene Roddenberry · Series · 1966
Shares a thread with Dune: Space Opera.
Those who enjoyed the intricate world-building of Dune will find a similar depth in these diplomatic missions, which explore the complex moral dilemmas of interacting with diverse, alien planetary cultures.
Game of Thrones
David Benioff · Series · 2011
Shares a thread with Dune: Power Struggles.
The power struggles between noble houses in this series echo the feudal politics of Dune, where war and shifting alliances dictate the fate of entire civilizations and their leaders.
Doctor Who
Sydney Newman · Series · 2005
Shares a thread with Dune: Space Opera.
Much like the perspective offered in Dune, this show examines the burden of a long-lived entity who navigates the corridors of time and space, constantly intervening in the fate of planets.
Twin Peaks
Mark Frost · Series · 1990
Explores: Small Town Secrets, Doppelgangers, Good vs Evil.
If the unsettling, surreal mysteries within the consciousness of Dune intrigued you, this investigation into a small town's dark secrets offers a similarly dense and atmospheric dive into hidden truths.
Podcasts on the same thread
Revolutions
Mike Duncan · Podcast · 2025
Explores: societal collapse, power dynamics, cyclical history.
This narrative history captures the cyclical nature of societal collapse and political upheaval that drives the central conflict in Dune, providing a grounded look at how revolutions reshape human history.
S-Town
Serial Productions · Podcast · 2024
Explores: small-town isolation, eccentricity, social decay.
The focus on the isolation and eccentric social decay of a specific, enclosed environment mirrors the way Dune grounds its massive political stakes in the harsh reality of a single world.
Keep exploring
Common questions
Is Dune based on a book?
Yes, Dune is based on the 1965 science fiction novel written by Frank Herbert. The book follows the story of Paul Atreides on the desert planet Arrakis as he navigates the political conflicts surrounding the valuable spice melange.
What order should I watch the Dune movies in?
To follow the narrative arc correctly, you should watch Dune released in 2021 first, followed by its direct sequel, Dune: Part Two, released in 2024. Both films adapt the source material written by Frank Herbert.
Is Dune: Part Two a sequel to the 2021 Dune movie?
Yes, Dune: Part Two is the direct sequel to the 2021 film titled Dune. Both movies are adaptations of the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert and continue the story of Paul Atreides and his struggle on the desert planet Arrakis.
What is the spice melange in the Dune series?
In the Dune series, the spice melange is a substance found only on the desert planet Arrakis. It is highly coveted across the universe because it is a drug capable of extending human life and enhancing consciousness, making it a prize worth killing for.