Bonus Features: The spice is flowing with ‘Dune’ on 4K Ultra HD

In October, Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi masterpiece, “Dune,” took the world by storm with its jaw-dropping visual delights. From intricate set designs to stunning visual effects, cinematography and world building, there was nothing small about a film like that, so clearly made for the big screen.

Naturally, the question arises: how can something so epic translate to a home release? With “Dune,” the 4K Ultra HD release doesn’t miss a beat.

While you won’t get the full IMAX experience at home, this disc is the next best thing. Villeneuve’s desert color palette is brought to life with beautiful blues, oranges and yellows, but his day-for-night sequences are just as impressive. At home on 4K, some of the darker scenes even come across better than they did on the big screen, with new details and intricacies made visible with deep, rich, dark colors. The visual effects hold up brilliantly as well, from the epic spacecrafts to the mid-movie battle and the massive CGI sandworms. Essentially, if you’re looking to show off your 4K TV at home, pop in “Dune” and you’ll be set.

The audio carries over perfectly as well, with booming sound effects, crystal clear dialogue, and, of course, Hans Zimmer’s memorable score. The Dolby Atmos mix is truly an immersive experience.

It should be clear by now that this home release is one worthy of adding to your collection, but 73-minutes of bonus features are simply the cherry on top. “Dune” comes loaded with bonus features, but die-hard fans of the franchise will certainly be left wanting more. There are no deleted scenes, commentary tracks or earth-shattering behind the scenes looks, but instead a ton of introductory content helping set the stage of the world.

Still, it’s all worth exploring a features nearly everyone involved in the filmmaking process. Let’s take a look.

Special Features on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray and Digital

• The Royal Houses – A brief background on the ancient families featured in the film and how they operate.
• Filmbooks – A combination of footage and storyboards for the film featuring informative narration from editor Joe Walker
  • House Atreides
  • House Harkonnen
  • The Fremen
  • The Spice Melange
• Inside Dune – Take a look at some of the most action-packed moments of the film with cast and crew interviews
  • The Training Room
  • The Spice Harvester
  • The Sardaukar Battle
• Building the Ancient Future – Explore the brilliant and immersive set, prop and production design that created the worlds of Arrakis and beyond.
• My Desert, My Dune – Director and “Dune” super fan Denis Villeneuve explains his vision for the film and how it came to be a reality.
• Constructing the Ornithopters – The look and feel of the film’s helicopter-esque vehicles is truly unique, and this featurette dives into the design process.
• Designing the Sandworm – The sandworms may appear terrifying, but the whole idea behind their creation was to garner respect, not fear. Find out why.
• Beware the Baron – A look at the transformative make-up and costuming process that created Stellan Skarsgård’s villain.
• Wardrobe from Another World – A brief look at the costuming of the universe.
• A New Soundscape – Composer Hans Zimmer breaks down how he created all-new instruments for the film’s score, and the work that went into the finished product.

“Dune” releases on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray, DVD + Digital on January 11, 2022.