Exploring the Stunning Production Design of Dune: Part Two
If you've ever been awestruck by the immersive and meticulous world of Dune, you’re not alone. On this episode of the Decorating Pages Podcast, host Kim Wannop sits with the brilliant production designer Patrice Vermette and renowned set decorator Shane Vieau to dive deep into their creative process for Dune: Part 2. The episode covers everything from the challenges of fabricating wormskin tents to working on location in the deserts of Jordan and Italy.
From the start, the duo made it clear that Dune wasn't just another sci-fi movie—it was a labor of love. Patrice reveals that when he first joined the project, the team approached the first film as a standalone movie. The success of part one, made during the pandemic, eventually earned them the green light for part two. But with that approval came the weight of delivering something entirely new. “No repeats,” Patrice emphasizes, explaining that the goal was to keep the sets visually fresh while continuing the story with deeper exploration of cultures, environments, and architecture.
Handcrafted details are a massive part of what makes Dune: Part 2 come alive. Shane shares the challenges and joys of working with custom-built fabrics that represent the nomadic Fremen culture. From creating five-ply materials that expand and contract, to mimicking natural elements like wormskin, the effort involved hand-dying, silk screening, and intricate testing of textures. “Nothing was built simply,” Shane jokes, reflecting the level of commitment the team poured into every detail. Even the flowing fabric tents in the desert were inspired by the surrounding environment, creating a seamless blend with Jordan’s rock formations.
Speaking of deserts, both Patrice and Shane vividly recount working in the intense sand-laden landscapes of Jordan and Abu Dhabi. Sand dunes would shift overnight, tents would collapse, and elements like wind traps had to endure weather extremes. The Jordanian military even stepped in to transport heavy set pieces via helicopters when conventional methods failed. Despite snakes, scorpions, and sandstorms, the entire team rose to the occasion, passionately working through the challenges to help realize director Denis Villeneuve’s ambitious vision.
The production design wasn’t just about location, though. Back in Budapest, the team built intricate sets on sound stages that matched and enhanced the massive story arcs. A 360-degree dining room set, inspired by ancient pigeon sheds, embodied communal Fremen culture. Meanwhile, CGI and practical builds merged seamlessly for large-scale props like the spice harvester’s enormous legs, which were puppeteered using excavators—a process described as a “ballet of madness” by Patrice.
One standout element across the sets was the thoughtful use of lighting and textures. Shane talks about the painstaking process of color-matching fabrics and materials, right down to shipping a physical rock from Jordan to New Zealand to get perfect matches for the hues. They even incorporated infrared black-and-white filming techniques on Getty Prime, which created eerie transformations in costumes and props onscreen.
Perhaps one of the most visually stunning spaces discussed was the imperial tent set, which Patrice described as representing a government hierarchy through its tiered and organic shape. The design integrated practical lighting with symbolic religious overtones, thanks to its cross-like structural slit above the emperor. It’s one perfect example of how every detail in Dune: Part 2 has multiple layers of meaning.
In the end, the podcast episode shows that the unwavering commitment of the entire art department helped bring a sense of realism and history to the futuristic worlds of Dune. As Shane aptly puts it, “There is beauty in simplicity.” Whether constructing massive sets or designing single props with character-defining detail, the artistic choices helped translate Denis Villeneuve’s vision into breathtaking cinematic reality. For fans of sci-fi design and storytelling, this episode is a must-listen—it’s a reminder of just how much artistry goes into crafting movie magic.
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