It’s more or less impossible for me to predict how people who haven’t read (and enjoyed) the novel. My guess would be this film doesn’t explain enough for people who haven’t internalized the plot before watching.
That was my first thought, but now I think we were wrong, which to me is the most impressive aspect of the movie.
As my mind filled in book details in the theater, I was thinking, “The poor non-readers must be lost.”
Later, I talked to a friend for an hour about why he loved the movie and quizzed him on plot details. He might not have known what the difference between “Kwisatz Haderach” and “Lisan Al Gaib”, but he knew both the Bene Gesserit and Fremen think Paul might be a “Chosen One”. He knew more or less what Paul’s visions of jihad mean (probably about as much as you know halfway through the first book). Things I missed like the banquet scene or Dr. Yueh character development weren’t a problem for him.
After talking it through and rewatching, I think Villaneuve’s version of the story works on its own, and is just richer for having the book undergirding. Quite a feat, and even more amazing for a story considered unfilmable.