Muslims complain about Dune 2: Not diverse enough, lacks actors from the Middle East and North Africa

Audiences who have watched the Dune series or read the original novel should know that the Fremen living on the desert planet Arrakis in the story are a nation that combines the real cultural characteristics of the Middle East, North Africa and Islam, and the conflict between the Fremen and the Harkonnen family also borrowed some real history from these regions. Brian Herbert, the eldest son of the original author Frank Herbert, once admitted that the Algerians in North Africa and the Arab Bedouins were the inspiration for his father to create the Fremen.

The Fremen's significant connection with these real ethnic groups also led many people to think that the film version should include actors from these ethnic groups, but they found that these faces seemed to be seriously lacking in the film, so they criticized these casting issues.

British journalist Furvah Shah wrote that as a Muslim, she was very disappointed with the lack of Middle Eastern and North African actors in "Dune 2". It is obvious that the Fremen's prayer rituals, clothing styles, and language design draw a lot of inspiration from Islam and Arabic, but the ethnic faces of these regions were erased from the screen.

Serena Rasoul, founder of MA Casting, an organization that advocates for racially diverse casting, also said she was disappointed that more Middle Eastern and North African actors weren't cast in the Dune series. "They're missing out on a great opportunity to pay tribute to their rich culture and heritage," she said.

Sue Obeidi, director of the MPAC Hollywood Bureau, also believes that this has weakened the cultural influence that Dune should have, and said that similar complaints had already appeared in Dune 1, but she was confused by the fact that Dune 2 remained unchanged. Normally, Hollywood would not hesitate to select actors from the Middle East or North Africa to play terrorists or villains, leaving a negative image on the screen.

Director Denis Villeneuve, producer Legendary Pictures, and distributor Warner Bros. Pictures all declined to comment on the matter, but an insider involved in the production pointed out that the "Dune" series has always hired local staff in the Middle East and North Africa where the filming took place. She also emphasized that about 15 supporting actors who play Fremen roles are of Middle Eastern and North African descent.

Some of the characters with lines in the film also have Middle Eastern or African ancestry, such as Souheila Yacoub, who plays the heroine Chini's friend, is a Swedish-born Tunisian actor. David Dastmalchian, who plays the crystal calculator of the Harkennen family in "Dune 1", is of Iranian descent.