How To Watch Dune Now That It's Dropped Off HBO Max

Science fiction doesn't tend to be a favorite genre for the Academy—in fact, it was less than five years ago that The Shape of Water became the first ever sci-fi film to win Best Picture. But ever since its premiere at the Venice Film Festival back in September, Dune has been tipped for Oscar glory. And sure enough, the sweeping sci-fi epic was up for 10 awards at last weekend's 2022 Oscars.

Dune ultimately won six prizes: Best Cinematography, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Production Design, Best Original Score, Best Film Editing. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune takes place in a future where faster-than-light travel has become routine. The protagonist is Paul (Timothée Chalamet), the son of a noble family who must travel to a dangerous planet in order to protect the most valuable and precious resource in the galaxy. The ensemble cast also includes Oscar Isaac and Rebecca Ferguson as Paul's parents, as well as Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, and Dave Bautista.

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Frank Herbert's 1965 novel Dune has proved notoriously hard to adapt over the years. David Lynch's version was savaged by critics upon its 1984 release—Roger Ebert called it "a real mess, an incomprehensible, ugly, unstructured, pointless excursion into the murkier realms of one of the most confusing screenplays of all time"—and bombed at the box office. A 2000 TV miniseries adaptation for Syfy was more acclaimed, but largely forgotten. So it's all the more impressive that Villeneuve pulled off a successful version.

Like many blockbusters in the COVID-19 era, Dune was released simultaneously in theaters and on streaming platforms. As of October 21, 2021, the movie was available to watch on HBO Max—but unfortunately, that was a limited streaming window, so it's no longer available on that platform.

But fear not, if you're trying to catch up before the Oscars. You can still stream Dune by renting or buying the movie via Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, Vudu or Google Play. It's also getting a second theatrical run on many screens nationwide, if you're holding out for the big screen experience.

And don't forget this is only the beginning of the Dune cinematic universe. Dune's full title is actually Dune: Part One, with the second installment slated for release in fall of 2023.

Emma Dibdin

Emma Dibdin is a freelance writer based in Los Angeles who writes about culture, mental health, and true crime. She loves owls, hates cilantro, and can find the queer subtext in literally anything.