Can Dune be considered a copy of Star Wars?

The franchise Dune, starring Timothée Chalamet has been compared to the famous Star Wars movie saga, understand the reason behind the fight.

Considered one of the biggest hits of 2021, the Dune franchise, directed by Denis Villeneuve, reached a total box office of approximately US$434.8 million, making the film’s sequel eagerly awaited by fans of the production, as well as of the books written by Frank Herbert in the 60s.

Starring big names like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Stellan Skarsgård and Austin Butler, Dune: Part 2 hit theaters in February this year, surprising viewers and securing the title of one of the highest-grossing films in the world so far, competing only with Kung Fu Panda 4 which has not yet arrived in Brazil.

With such success as Dune 2, the public began to compare the franchise with the Star Wars saga, even going so far as to accuse the 2024 production of plagiarism. The accusations began when the look and script of both were compared, highlighting the similarity between the two.

In both scripts, a young man with misunderstood powers goes through difficulties and adventures on a desert planet, however, an inevitable intergalactic war is approaching and they will need to stop the evil emperor from taking power.

Inspiration from Frank Herbert’s books

Can Dune be considered a copy of Star Wars? — (Reproduction/Warner Bros. Pictures).

Serving as inspiration for adaptations over the decades, Dune had its first book published in 1965 by Frank Herbert. After the author’s death in 1986, the saga was continued by his son Brian Herbert.

As a result, the Star Wars franchise, which was launched in 1977 and to this day has new adaptations in the form of series, animations, films and games, was inspired by Frank’s books, so this is the real reason for so many similarities.

We know that the comparison between the two productions can be confusing, so, to help you better understand the situation, we have listed the main comparisons here. Check it out below!

Desert planet and population

The planet of Arrakis present in Dune served as inspiration for the creation of Tatooine from Star Wars. Both planets are made mainly of sand and stone, where the only difference between them is the existence of two moons on Arrakis, while Tatooine has two suns.

Furthermore, there is a comparison between populations, where the Fremen and the Rebel Alliance have the same objective: to end the empire and bring peace to the population.

Hidden powers and prophecies

Both protagonists of the sagas have mysterious powers that guide both Paul and Anaquim on their journeys, offering visions and premonitions about the future.

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