After Dune overperformed in its opening weekend, earning $41 million, Legendary and Warner Bros. have officially greenlit Dune: Part Two.
Part Two will adapt the back half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science-fiction novel. Both director Denis Villeneuve and star Timothée Chalamet are set to return for the sequel. Hans Zimmer also confirmed on Twitter that he will be back to score Part Two. In a statement, Villeneuve expressed his excitement at the sequel being greenlit:
“I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two. It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream. This is only the beginning.”
Villeneuve had previously stated that he was ready to get back to the world of Arrakis as soon as the start of next year. With Warner Bros. setting an October 20, 2023 release date for Part Two, I think those wishes have been answered.
Part Two will also receive an exclusive theatrical release. This was apparently a key point of negotiations between Legendary and Warner Bros. So sorry to the five people who thought watching Dune on their TV (or worse, their phone) would be a better experience than seeing it on the biggest screen possible. You’ll have to actually put on pants and head outside!
Toby Emmerich is equally excited for more Dune. In a statement, the Chairman of Warner Bros Picture Group said:
“Denis Villeneuve has crafted a film that is both visually extraordinary and emotionally transporting, as evidenced by its global success both critically and at the box office. We are thrilled to continue on this journey with Denis and his cast and crew, and our partners at Legendary, and can’t wait to bring the next chapter of this epic tale to theaters in October 2023.”
There’s no word yet on if the rest of Herbert’s Dune books will be adapted, but in a September roundtable that featured Villeneuve, the director said:
“I envision the adaptation of two books, ‘Dune’ and ‘Dune Messiah.’ … Those movies are very long to make. So for my mental sanity I decided to just dream about three movies, because I’m a big fan of all the novels. After that, I’ll see where I am. But I will say that I want to focus on the aspect of these three movies right now.”
I think we’re all hoping Warner Bros. and Legendary will just keep mining the spice adapting the novels until there is nothing left. I think this could be the next big franchise in Hollywood. Let’s just hope Warner Bros. doesn’t fuck it up.
Dune is currently in theaters and streaming on HBO Max. Once you’ve seen it, head to our Spoil Away thread and share your thoughts on the film!
Are you glad Dune: Part Two is officially happening? Would you like to see Villeneuve adapt the whole series? Tell us your thoughts in the comments!
