The critically and commercially acclaimed film Dune will return to Abu Dhabi in November for the shooting of its sequel.
During the 2022 Culture Summit Abu Dhabi, which began on Sunday, Hans Fraikin, Abu Dhabi film commissioner, was in discussion with Sam Kozhaya, executive vice president of operations and corporate development at Legendary Entertainment, the producer of Dune, in a panel entitled Dune: The Creation of a Blockbuster Film Franchise.
Fraikin and Kozhaya discussed the process of creating the sci-fi epic and Abu Dhabi’s role in the international success of the film.
“Abu Dhabi was an essential partner for us in the success of Dune,” said Kozhaya.
“They were a key contributor in the success and the 10 Oscar nominations, the six Oscar wins. We had such a great experience that we're back again for Dune part two.”
Based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert, Dune has seen a number of adaptations over the years, however none as internationally acclaimed by both critics and audiences as the 2021 film.
Much of the film’s success has been attributed to the storyline remaining faithful to Herbert’s rich novel, thanks to scriptwriters Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, along with the uncompromising vision of writer and director Denis Villeneuve.
“To really create the world of Arrakis, first for Denis, he wanted the authenticity but grounded in reality,” Kozhaya said.
“He didn't want the audience to be taken out of the world of Dune. He wanted them completely immersed.”
A fundamental element of Dune’s success is the setting of the fictional planet. The Liwa desert, three hours from Abu Dhabi city, where filming took place, helped bring Arrakis, Herbert’s story and Villeneuve’s vision to life.
“It was the picturesque scenery, everything from the towering dunes, the beautiful vistas and really being able to capture the elements and being in the desert,” Kozhaya said.
Being close to a “well-appointed metropolitan city” such as Abu Dhabi was also crucial for filming, Kozhaya added, as the cast and crew, who were on a six-day shooting schedule, “needed a place to call home”.
“And also, having talented local crew was essential,” Kozhaya said. “And having the support that we needed and we could get in Abu Dhabi from facilities and working with film commissioners and other offices.”
Kozhaya confirmed plans to increase the size of the local crew this time around.
“We are estimating about 700 to 800 jobs we'll be creating in Abu Dhabi,” he said.
“And that's everything from local crew, extras, suppliers, vendors and the other people that will be associated with this.”
Legendary Films will also be hiring five interns from the UAE to experience first-hand what it would be like to work on the set of a film like Dune. The production company also plans to hold seminars in Abu Dhabi for aspiring filmmakers and technicians in the UAE to learn more about the different areas of film production.
“We thought it would be a great opportunity to give back knowledge,” Kozhaya said.
“We're going to have seminars on visual effects, on production, finance, producing, cinematography — we thought it'd be a great opportunity that while we're shooting here, that we can actually bring the talented crew to give some of these seminars.”
Kozhaya also revealed what audiences can expect to see from the sequel of the film, which has a planned release date of November 3, 2023.
“We'll continue with the world-building that we started in part one and really dial up the action in part two,” he said.
“We'll continue to see the warring factions, and how those stories unfold. And we'll see the returning cast like Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya and see their relationships take a more central role.”
He said new cast members, who will be filming in Abu Dhabi, include Christopher Walken, Austin Butler and Florence Pugh.
In the session, Kozhaya also emphasised how much the crew and talent enjoyed their time in Abu Dhabi during filming.
“They learnt about Bedouin culture that they were surrounded by in the desert and they spent time learning about local culture,” he said.
“They really they felt the warmth of the people in Abu Dhabi, they felt the hospitality. And this time, it'll be a larger presence, again, with what we're doing with the internship programmes, with the seminars. So it's a great step forward.”
Scroll through the gallery below to see 'Dune' stars at the London premiere
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The candidates
Dr Ayham Ammora, scientist and business executive
Ali Azeem, business leader
Tony Booth, professor of education
Lord Browne, former BP chief executive
Dr Mohamed El-Erian, economist
Professor Wyn Evans, astrophysicist
Dr Mark Mann, scientist
Gina MIller, anti-Brexit campaigner
Lord Smith, former Cabinet minister
Sandi Toksvig, broadcaster
Other acts on the Jazz Garden bill
Sharrie Williams
The American singer is hugely respected in blues circles due to her passionate vocals and songwriting. Born and raised in Michigan, Williams began recording and touring as a teenage gospel singer. Her career took off with the blues band The Wiseguys. Such was the acclaim of their live shows that they toured throughout Europe and in Africa. As a solo artist, Williams has also collaborated with the likes of the late Dizzy Gillespie, Van Morrison and Mavis Staples.
Lin Rountree
An accomplished smooth jazz artist who blends his chilled approach with R‘n’B. Trained at the Duke Ellington School of the Arts in Washington, DC, Rountree formed his own band in 2004. He has also recorded with the likes of Kem, Dwele and Conya Doss. He comes to Dubai on the back of his new single Pass The Groove, from his forthcoming 2018 album Stronger Still, which may follow his five previous solo albums in cracking the top 10 of the US jazz charts.
Anita Williams
Dubai-based singer Anita Williams will open the night with a set of covers and swing, jazz and blues standards that made her an in-demand singer across the emirate. The Irish singer has been performing in Dubai since 2008 at venues such as MusicHall and Voda Bar. Her Jazz Garden appearance is career highlight as she will use the event to perform the original song Big Blue Eyes, the single from her debut solo album, due for release soon.
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Global state-owned investor ranking by size
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UAE
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Canada
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Dhadak 2
Director: Shazia Iqbal
Starring: Siddhant Chaturvedi, Triptii Dimri
Rating: 1/5
How tumultuous protests grew
- A fuel tax protest by French drivers appealed to wider anti-government sentiment
- Unlike previous French demonstrations there was no trade union or organised movement involved
- Demonstrators responded to online petitions and flooded squares to block traffic
- At its height there were almost 300,000 on the streets in support
- Named after the high visibility jackets that drivers must keep in cars
- Clashes soon turned violent as thousands fought with police at cordons
- An estimated two dozen people lost eyes and many others were admitted to hospital
What is graphene?
Graphene is a single layer of carbon atoms arranged like honeycomb.
It was discovered in 2004, when Russian-born Manchester scientists Andrei Geim and Kostya Novoselov were "playing about" with sticky tape and graphite - the material used as "lead" in pencils.
Placing the tape on the graphite and peeling it, they managed to rip off thin flakes of carbon. In the beginning they got flakes consisting of many layers of graphene. But as they repeated the process many times, the flakes got thinner.
By separating the graphite fragments repeatedly, they managed to create flakes that were just one atom thick. Their experiment had led to graphene being isolated for the very first time.
At the time, many believed it was impossible for such thin crystalline materials to be stable. But examined under a microscope, the material remained stable, and when tested was found to have incredible properties.
It is many times times stronger than steel, yet incredibly lightweight and flexible. It is electrically and thermally conductive but also transparent. The world's first 2D material, it is one million times thinner than the diameter of a single human hair.
But the 'sticky tape' method would not work on an industrial scale. Since then, scientists have been working on manufacturing graphene, to make use of its incredible properties.
In 2010, Geim and Novoselov were awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics. Their discovery meant physicists could study a new class of two-dimensional materials with unique properties.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
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Zidane's managerial achievements
La Liga: 2016/17
Spanish Super Cup: 2017
Uefa Champions League: 2015/16, 2016/17, 2017/18
Uefa Super Cup: 2016, 2017
Fifa Club World Cup: 2016, 2017
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Three ways to boost your credit score
Marwan Lutfi says the core fundamentals that drive better payment behaviour and can improve your credit score are:
1. Make sure you make your payments on time;
2. Limit the number of products you borrow on: the more loans and credit cards you have, the more it will affect your credit score;
3. Don't max out all your debts: how much you maximise those credit facilities will have an impact. If you have five credit cards and utilise 90 per cent of that credit, it will negatively affect your score.
