Australians have finally seen Dune, after a lengthy delay, and now we can take heart that the abrupt ending of the film will be resolved because Dune 2 is a go.
Dune 2 has been confirmed
Director Denis Villeneuve always said his vision for Dune would take place over two parts. Until recently it was uncertain whether audiences would actually see that second half on screen.
Box office takings have been shaky, to say the least, during the pandemic, which has caused studios to err on the side of caution. Seeing as Dune was also released simultaneously on streaming in the U.S., it put the film’s box office profits in question.
But it seems after a successful debut, Warner Bros. and Legendary were happy to greenlight a Dune sequel.
This is only the beginning…
Thank you to those who have experienced @dunemovie so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We’re excited to continue the journey! pic.twitter.com/mZj68Hnm0A
— Legendary (@Legendary) October 26, 2021
What will the second part be about?
Without spoiling anything (although the book has been out for over 50 years), there are a few indicators of where Dune: Part Two will go.
(Spoilers for Dune ahead.)
Dune will pick up where the first movie left off and cover the second half of Frank Herbert’s novel.
Last we saw our characters in Dune, Paul Atreides and his mother Lady Jessica had escaped the slaughter of their family on Arrakis and were found by the Freman. One of the Freman warriors challenges the group’s decision to give Paul and Jessica sanctuary and orders a ritualistic fight to the death – which Paul wins.
The last we see of the group Paul has been united with the girl in his visions, Chani, and they look out over the sand dunes as the Freman ride the legendary sandworms.
Now we have a lot of unanswered questions. Will Jessica give birth to Duke Leto’s second child? Will the Freman be able to take back Arrakis from the Baron? Will Paul’s visions of death come true? We’ll have to wait and see in Dune part 2.
Denis Villeneuve has been hard at work writing the second movie since August, so hopefully, that will fast-track the second Dune movie to our screens. In March the director confirmed to Collider that the script was mostly finished and the film was in full prep.
Villeneuve told Empire Magazine in an interview that the film is supposed to shoot by “the end of summer” or winter here in Australia.
As for plot details Villeneuve told the outlet that the second part will go “a little bit deeper” into the details of the first:
“Now in the second one, I want to have more flexibility, and it will be possible to go a little bit deeper into some of these details… It’s like a chess game. Some new characters will be introduced in the second part and a decision I made very early on was that this first part would be more about Paul Atreides and the Bene Gesserit, and his experience of being in contact for the first time with a different culture. Second part, there will be much more Harkonnen stuff.”
Dune 2 cast
It’s expected Dune 2 will be a mix of both old and new cast members.
Expected to return are the major players like Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin and Stellan Skarsgaard.
No new cast members have been officially confirmed as yet but Deadline reports a rumour that Florence Pugh (Black Widow) is being eyed for the role of Princess Irulan Corrino.
The outlet also reports that Elvis star Austin Butler is in talks to play Feyd-Rautha, aka the nephew of the villainous Baron Harkonnen.
When will Dune 2 be released?
Dune is currently scheduled for release on October 20, 2023. Clear your calendars.
One point of difference this time around is that Warner Bros. has said Dune 2 will only be given a theatrical window. That means no HBO Max or simultaneous streaming debut, which is what Villeneuve originally intended.
Where can Australians see the first Dune?
Dune was initially released in cinemas on December 2, 2022.
Now that the film is an Oscar nominee some cinemas are re-screening the film in the lead up to the awards ceremony.
The film is also now available on digital platforms to buy or rent and is available in disc form at media retailers. A streaming home is yet to be announced.
We’ll keep you posted on any more news about Dune 2 in the coming months.
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