Tech Industry Embraces “Dune: Part 2” with Private Screenings and Sci-Fi Cocktails
In a top-floor atrium in downtown San Francisco, tech workers from Google, Slack, X, and Mozilla gathered for a private screening of “Dune: Part 2” on Thursday evening. The event was a celebration of Silicon Valley’s newest obsession, the latest installment in the Frank Herbert-authored science-fiction saga.
The techies mingled next to cardboard cutouts of Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, sipping on cannily named cocktails like the Fremen Mirage and the Arrakis Palms. Dustin Moskovitz, a Facebook founder, and other tech industry veterans like Tim O’Reilly and Alex Stamos were also in attendance.
The invitation-only screening was hosted by two tech executives turned podcasters of “Escape Hatch,” a show focused on sci-fi and fantasy films. Across Silicon Valley, from venture capital firms to tech executive circles, private screenings of “Dune: Part 2” were being held.
Founders Fund, a venture capital firm co-created by Peter Thiel, rented out a theater for the film’s opening night with an open bar and free food. The tradition of hosting private screenings for futuristic films like “Dune” has been a long-standing practice in Silicon Valley.
The fascination with “Dune” and “Dune: Part 2” goes beyond just entertainment for the tech industry. The series’ expansiveness and world-building aspects resonate with techies who are constantly looking towards the future. Characters like Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, embody the charismatic leader that many in Silicon Valley admire.
Despite the skepticism of man’s technological progress in the source material, attendees at the screening were determined to have fun. After the movie ended, the group headed into a V.I.P. room to record a live edition of the podcast on their thoughts about the film.
The tech industry’s love for “Dune” and other sci-fi films continues to be a way for techies to step away from the tech culture wars and immerse themselves in a different world, if only for a few hours. As one attendee put it, “What people want, what they’re always trying to recreate, is that charismatic leader with the ability to see into the future.”
The geeking out over “Dune: Part 2” continued past midnight, with one attendee already planning to see the movie again. The tech industry’s embrace of sci-fi and fantasy films like “Dune” shows that even in a rapidly changing tech landscape, the love for storytelling and world-building remains strong.
