HBO Max \u2018s latest blockbuster movie Dune takes place in a distant future where families rule over planets and Spice is the most valuable commodity \u2026<\/b>
\nHBO Max \u2018s latest blockbuster movie Dune takes place in a distant future where families rule over planets and Spice is the most valuable commodity in the entire universe. Not just any old kitchen spice like curry powder or cinnamon. The Spice in Dune is also known as the Spice Melange and it\u2019s only found on one planet in the whole galaxy: the dangerous desert planet of Arrakis. Denis Villeneuve \u2018s version of Dune says simply that Spice is valuable, Spice is needed for interstellar travel, and Spice is sacred to the Fremen, but what exactly does that mean? What precisely is Spice and what does Spice do in Dune that makes it so damn precious? For that, you\u2019re going to have to sit down and listen to some stuff that\u2019s going to sound, well, a little weird\u2026 Dune on HBO Max is based on Frank Herbert\u2019s groundbreaking science fiction novel of the same name and stars Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet as Paul Atreides. Paul\u2019s father, Duke Leto ( Oscar Isaac) is a popular noble who has been \u201cgifted\u201d stewardship over the planet Arrakis and its lucrative Spice trade. I put \u201cgifted\u201d in quotes because everyone realizes it\u2019s a deadly trap meant to at best embarrass House Atreides and, at worst, eliminate them from their position of power. Arrakis is a deadly, unforgiving planet, populated by a mysterious local people known as the Fremen and enormous sand worms who are attracted to the subtlest of noises. The planet, nicknamed Dune, is only prized because it is \u2014 again \u2014 the only place where Spice can be harvested. So what\u2019s so great about Spice? How does Spice work in Dune? And what is the Spice Melange? Here\u2019s everything you need to know about the Spice in Dune\u2026 So what exactly is Spice in Dune? While I\u2019d love to tell you exactly what Spice is and where it comes from, that could be something of a potential spoiler for Dune Part Two (if it\u2019s ever made), so I\u2019ll stick to why Spice is so treasured*. The Spice Melange is a spice found in the sands of the planet Arrakis that can be inhaled or ingested by humans. Added to food, it can provide medicinal benefits, like extending people\u2019s lives or enhancing their senses. When inhaled, it can inspire psychedelic episodes for certain susceptible minds. The moment that Paul inhales a cloud of spice coincides with the moment that his Sight awakens and he begins seeing future events and hearing voices with more clarity. The film explicitly says this moment is when the Kwistatz Haderach awakens; that is Paul becomes \u201cThe One\u201d who can bridge space and time with his mind. All thanks to the Spice! Obviously the Spice would be valuable just as a medicinal booster, but it\u2019s so much more than that in the world of Dune. Spice is the key to interstellar travel\u2026and here\u2019s the wild reason why\u2026 So you know how Paul\u2019s mind expands with one whiff of Spice? Imagine what would happen to a similar mind if all they ever inhaled was Spice. If you go back to the moment when Duke Leto has the fancy ceremony granting him stewardship of Arrakis, you\u2019ll note that representatives from the \u201cSpace Guild\u201d are there. These mysterious people are wearing helmets flooded with Spice Melange. That\u2019s because the Space Guild keeps dominion over the secrets of interstellar travel. They subject themselves to constant Spice exposure until they cease to be human. Some even transform mentally and physically to the point of becoming alien-like \u201cNavigators.\u201d These Navigators can fold space with their minds, thus creating a tesseract that can take a ship of people from one corner of the galaxy to another in no time. So that\u2019s how Spice works and what Spice does! Fun fact: in the book, it\u2019s also supposed to taste good. It\u2019s also used in a lot of feast scenes just to punch up meals. The Spice is still just spice. But it\u2019s also not just spice. It\u2019s special space Spice. *No, seriously, the reveal of what exactly Spice is becomes a plot point in the latter part of the book Dune and affects Paul\u2019s later plans. Where to stream Dune<\/p>\n