Though they're undeniably successful, large parts of Denis Villeneuve's "Dune" movies can come off a little bleak. Still, there's no denying the sheer coolness factor of the ornithopters. The aircraft used by House Atreides to traverse the desert landscapes of the planet Arrakis are one of the most memorable elements of the "Dune" aesthetic, combining the form of a dragonfly with elements of helicopter design and producing something so visually striking that Lego has since produced one of the coolest building brick vehicles ever with its ornithopter set.

Production designer Patrice Vermette began working on the ornithopter back in 2018 and drew from a multitude of inspirations, including insects and birds on the natural side of things and helicopters on the more technological side. Once the design had been nailed down, the production team actually built large parts of the 'thopters to allow the "Dune" actors to interact with the hardware.