Last week, Warner Bros. released the first trailer for the Denis Villeneuve-directed Dune. The highly anticipated film is an adaptation of the book of the same name by author Frank Herbert, and the trailer provided a first look at the all-star cast led by Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides. What's more, the first look at Dune gave fans a taste of its amazing cinematography, as well as some of its massive set pieces. But, more than anything, the trailer indicated the movie will be a faithful adaptation of the 1965 novel.

Most assuredly, one of the most memorable moments from the film's trailer arrives at the very end when it reveals the story's iconic sandworm in all its frightening glory.

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Dune largely takes place on the desert planet Arrakis. While the planet has a small population of humans, it is also home to massive, titan-like worms that live underground. These creatures play an important part in the novel's story, and they are perhaps one of the most iconic aspects of Dune.

The sandworms appeared in David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation, but given the limitations on movie special effects at the time, that version of Dune failed to capture the epic, frightening nature of the creatures. Instead, they came off as more silly than anything else. Because of this, those who only saw the 1984 film never truly grasped how much of a threat the sandworms are supposed to represent to the story's protagonists.

And perhaps this is why the trailer for the new Dune downplays the sandworms, something it's done to great effect.

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Fans expected to see the sandworms at some point in the trailer, and the clip created anticipation by reserving an appearance from the creatures until the very end. And here, it let loose the film's secret weapon, by unveiling a monster that is gigantic, frightening and truly menacing.

The reveal of the sandworm juxtaposed with a human standing in front of it creates a dwarfing effect. Suddenly, the real, indigenous threat of Dune's setting is revealed, and its bigger and more surreal than anyone could have imagined. There is a quiet poetry to the sandworm, a regal elegance carried by its new design. And it also communicates the smallness of humans and their plans.

The debut of Dune's sandworm is a promise -- this is not the 1984 film's take on the monsters. This is something else. This is a force of nature.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, Legendary Pictures' Dune stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Chang Chen as Dr. Wellington Yueh, Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Dr. Liet Kynes, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam, Dave Bautista Glossu Rabban, David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Stephen Henderson as Thufir Hawat, and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck. The film arrives in theaters Dec. 18.

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