Dune: 5 Reasons It Will Be A Massive Hit (And 5 Reasons It Will Flop)
2. It'll Flop: The Novel's Structure
Dune starts off slow by modern standards. The novel devotes much of its first third to table-setting, introducing us to an array of characters and positioning them so that the reader fully grasps the stakes of the action-packed back half of the novel. This works exceptionally-well in the novel format. Without the slower start, the finale would not be as moving as it proves to be.
However, novels and cinema are two different mediums with different considerations when it comes to pacing and structure. A book allows the reader to consume the story at their own pace. You can set it down and pick it up when you have time or as your investment in it dictates.
The cinema is an entirely different beast. Audience will expect to be given a story that enthralls them from the first frame while also being able to digest it in one sitting. If Villeneuve decides to be too slavish to the structure of Dune the novel, his audience may tune out before the action can get into full swing, which means the battle royales could land with a resounding thud. Time will tell if his decision to break the story in two parts avoids this potential pitfall.