Earlier this week, Warner Bros. and Legendary announced that a sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune had officially been greenlit due to a very successful weekend at the box office, and now, the director has offered some details on the production schedule.
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Villeneuve revealed that plenty of work has already started on Dune: Part Two but it’s going to be quite sometime before the cameras roll on the sequel – which is currently scheduled for an October 20th, 2023 release date.
“It’s fantastic news, but it’s also kind of a burden,” the filmmaker said. “The good news is that a lot of the work has been done already regarding design, casting, locations and writing. So we’re not starting from scratch. It’s not a long period of time, but I will try to face that challenge because it’s important for me that the audience sees Part Two as soon as possible. It’s not a sequel where it’s another episode or another story with the same characters. It actually has direct continuity to the first movie. It’s the second part of the big huge movie that I’m trying to do. So the sooner the better.
When asked if they might start shooting in the spring of next year, Villeneuve said “that’s too soon. We still have a lot of work to do. It’d probably be more towards fall, and even that would be fast. (Laughs.)”
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A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Dune is directed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) and sees Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) leading the cast alongside Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Dave Bautista (Avengers: Infinity War), Stellan Skarsgard (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), Charlotte Rampling (Red Sparrow), Zendaya (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Javier Bardem (Loving Pablo), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Sex Education), and Chang Chen (The Assassin).
Originally published October 29, 2021. Updated October 30, 2021.
