This isn’t the first time the elder Leto Atreides II has been left out of a cinematic adaptation. He is also notably absent in David Lynch’s 1984 “Dune” movie, but that makes a bit more sense because the director tried adapting the entire story into just one film. However, Jon Spaihts’ explanation is also logical since giving Paul and Chani a child in “Dune: Part Two” may have added more unnecessary plot details to an already expansive narrative — even if going through a child’s death together would’ve made Paul’s eventual betrayal all the more heartbreaking.
Spaihts pointed out that the film already has a strong emotional crux with Paul and Chani’s relationship. “The story of young love crossed with a terrific political and philosophical collision between the two of them and between the pressures the world puts on those two young lovers … I think that’s the most important thing in this story,” he elaborated. Simplifying what’s already a heady science-fiction story is arguably for the best, especially for viewers unfamiliar with the books.
Leaving out Leto II is far from the only change “Dune: Part Two” makes. One of the biggest changes the movie makes to the Atreides family tree is that Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy), Paul’s sister, remains unborn. “Dune: Part Two” is critically acclaimed, so it doesn’t appear the alterations impacted the story’s quality. But it’s intriguing to see how they may necessitate even more changes to an adaptation of the next book in the series — “Dune Messiah.”
