FAQ

Duke Leto Atriedes and his family relocate from the watery planet Caladan to the desert planet Arrakis as the Padisah Emperor Shaddam IV has sent the Duke to take control of the mining operation on Arrakis as Arrakis is being mined for the spice Melange. However, the Emperor sending Duke Leto and his family to Arrakis is in reality a deathtrap as The Emperor has secretly conspired with the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen to rid The Emperor of House Atriedes as The Emperor fears The Duke will take the throne and rule the galaxy and The Emperor sends Baron Harkonnen and his loyal Sardukar Terror Troops to Arrakis to destroy House Atreides. After The Emperor and Baron Harkonnen's plot goes into motion and Duke Leto is assassinated. The Duke's son and heir Paul and his mother Jessica are forced to flee into the desert. Paul and his mother are taken in by the Fremen, the humanoid natives of Arrakis and Paul takes leadership of the Fremen and decides to lead them in revolt against The Emperor and Baron Harkonnen. But, the spice Melange begins to change Paul whom rises and becomes a powerful revolutionary and believes he is the all powerful super being the Kwisatz Haderach and Paul leads an army of Fremen warriors in a campaign to rid Arrakis of the Emperor and Baron Harkonnen and avenge his father.

There are actually three cuts of the miniseries, the original TV version shown on Sci-Fi Channel in 2000, the uncensored TV version, and the Director's Cut.

The Director't Cut is approximately 280 minutes in total, which is around 30 minutes longer than the original TV version and around 17 minutes longer than the uncensored TV version.