Josh Brolin's Dune 2 Introduction Scene Fixes A Major Character Complaint

Summary Josh Brolin's Gurney Halleck is introduced in Dune 2 playing the baliset, a fictional instrument.

The 2021 Dune film's portrayal of Halleck reduced his character to strictly being a serious military man.

Much of Gurney Halleck's levity and humor from the books went to Jason Momoa's Duncan Idaho.

Josh Brolin's Gurney Halleck is introduced in a specific way in Dune: Part Two, making good on an issue with the character in the first film. Denis Villeneuve's Dune films have been praised as cinematic achievements, faithfully bringing Frank Herbert's prolific science fiction novel to life. Achieving accuracy is a tall task, and Dune 2 makes several changes from the books to accommodate for the film medium. Still, lovers of the books will always rightfully have details to nitpick and character differences to criticize, which is all part of the fun in discussing adaptation.

Veteran actor Josh Brolin is part of the Dune 2 cast as Gurney Halleck, the loyal Warmaster of House Atreides and one of Paul's primary teachers and, later, supporters. In the 1984 David Lynch version of Dune, Halleck was played by Sir Patrick Stewart. His screen time in Dune 2 was limited compared to a slightly more expanded role in the first film, but the sequel's interpretation of him actually improved upon his book accuracy in subtle ways.

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Dune 2 Finally Shows Gurney Playing The Baliset

Josh Brolin's Introduction In Dune 2 Shows Him Playing A Fictional Instrument From The Books

Josh Brolin's Gurney Halleck isn't introduced until the latter half of Dune 2, when he's seen playing the "baliset." This fictional instrument from the Dune world is commonly associated with Gurney, as he's regarded in the novels as a master at it. In Denis Villeneuve's films, Gurney Halleck appears to be a serious military man, and though he certainly is, there's much more to him that was reduced to focus on the main characters. Involving the baliset was a lovely way to show the character's depth, after only alluding to it in the 2021 Dune film in a scene where Paul asks him to sing a song.

Related Where To Watch Dune 2: Showtimes & Streaming Status The wait for Denis Villeneuve's Dune sequel is now over, and there are options for where to watch Dune 2 with theater showtimes or on streaming.

Josh Brolin's Baliset Scene Makes His Character More Book-Accurate

Josh Brolin Isn't As Grouchy As The 2021 Dune Movie Made Him Seem, And The Baliset Provides Some Levity

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Gurney Halleck is an adept military man and one of the most reliable supporting characters of House Atreides, but the baliset is vital to showing his gentle, humorous, and even poetic side. In the novels, Gurney Halleck and Paul Atreides' relationship is demonstrated through Paul's training, much like in the films, though the scenes have a much different energy. The two are shown to be great friends and practically family, and they spend their lessons joking around. The 2021 film depicted Josh Brolin's Halleck as an overly serious one-note war leader.

2021's Dune is available on Max, and 2024's Dune: Part Two is available to rent on various services.

There are reasons for this change that make sense. Much of Halleck's humor and levity went to Jason Momoa's Duncan Idaho, who had some of the 2021's comedic relief lines and was shown to have a loving relationship with Paul. This could be because Duncan Idaho's death was a climactic moment in the first movie, and the changes helped establish him as a more lovable character. It plays well off Jason Momoa's charismatic type-cast but, unfortunately, reduces Gurney Halleck into a box. Luckily, Dune 2 improved upon Gurney's character.