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It is time to return to Arrakis in Dune 2.
Denis Villeneuve’s highly-lauded film adaptation is based on the award-winning novel of the same name from New York Times bestselling author Frank Herbert. Since Dune’s release and its subsequent success, fans have been anticipating the upcoming sequel, announced in a statement by Villeneuve in 2021.
“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,” Villeneuve said. “This is only the beginning.”
Read on for more information on Dune: Part Two.
What is the premise of Dune: Part Two?
Dune: Part Two picks up where the first film left off and will cover the second half of Herbert’s novel.
According to the official synopsis released by Warner Bros. and Legendary, Dune 2 “will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
Who is behind the movie adaptation of Dune: Part Two?
Award-winning director and writer Denis Villeneuve made a name for himself in filmmaking with his work on Incendies in 2010, followed by thrillers Prisoners and Sicario. Since then, Villeneuve has explored the sci-fi genre with Oscar-winning films Arrival, Blade Runner 2049, and, most recently, Dune. Currently, the sought-after director is working on Dune: Part Two, the highly-awaited sequel to the film.
Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, best known for Prometheus, Doctor Strange, and Passengers, penned the script. In addition to Spaihts, more familiar faces have returned to the project, including acclaimed composer Hans Zimmer, who composed an original score for Dune, and Zero Dark Thirty cinematographer Greig Fraser, known for The Batman and Rogue One: A Star Wars Story.
Dune: Part Two is co-produced by Legendary Entertainment, Warner Bros. Entertainment, Villeneuve Films, and Warner Bros.
Producers on the project are Cale Boyter, Jessica Derhammer, Tanya Lapointe, Patrick McCormick, Mary Parent, and Denis Villeneuve. Executive producers include Herbert W. Gains, Joshua Grode, John Harrison, Brian Herbert, Kim Herbert, Byron Merritt, Richard P. Rubinstein, Jon Spaihts, and Thomas Tull.
Dune 2 Cast: Who is returning in Dune: Part Two?
Timothée Chalamet will reprise his role as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two alongside Zendaya’s Chani, who will play a more prominent role. Fans were disappointed by Zendaya’s limited time on screen in the first film – approximately seven minutes – but that will undoubtedly change in the sequel now that Paul and Chani officially met at the end of the first film.
More familiar faces you can expect to see in the cast of Dune 2 include Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica Atreides, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Stellan Skarsgård as the power-hungry Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen, Josh Brolin as mentor Gurney Halleck, and Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam.
New faces that will appear in the project include A-listers Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Austin Butler, and Léa Seydoux.
familiar actors
Florence Pugh took the cinematic world by storm with her haunting performance in Ari Aster’s Midsommar, followed by her Oscar-nominated role as Amy March in Greta Gerwig’s Little Women. Fans were thrilled to hear about the Black Widow star’s involvement in the sequel to Dune as Princess Irulan Corrino, the Emperor’s daughter. In addition to Dune: Part Two, Pugh will appear in Christopher Nolan’s all-star cast for Oppenheimer.
In the summer of 2022, Austin Butler dazzled audiences everywhere with his compelling embodiment of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll in Elvis, a role that earned him an Oscar nomination and a Golden Globe Award win. Now, the Once Upon a Time in Hollywood star will step into the shoes of the villainous Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the nephew, and heir of Baron Harkonnen, played by Skarsgård.
Award-winning actor Christopher Walken will join the cast as Emperor Shaddam IV, the ruler of the House Atreides and House Harkonnen; No Time to Die star Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, a member of the Bene Gesserit; Souheila Yacoub as Shishakli; and Tim Blake Nelson in a not-yet-disclosed role.
The cast also includes Italo Amerighi, Ana Cilas, Imola Gáspár, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Tim Hilborne, Molly Mcowan, Alan Mehdizadeh, and Anton Valensi.
Dune 2: When is the release date of Dune: Part Two?
The countdown is on! Dune: Part Two wrapped filming in December of 2022, according to an Instagram post from Chalamet, and will hit theaters on November 3.
Filming for Dune 2 began on July 18, 2022, and took place on set in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Italy.
Is there a trailer for Dune: Part Two?
There is no trailer for Dune 2 yet, but hopefully, we will be treated to a teaser in the following months as the release date nears.
Will there be a Dune 3?
Despite news that Dune would be split into two parts, Villeneuve has expressed his desire for more than two installments.
“I always envisioned three movies,” Villeneuve said to Entertainment Weekly. “It’s not that I want to do a franchise, but this is Dune, and Dune is a huge story. In order to honor it, I think you would need at least three movies. That would be the dream. To follow Paul Atreides and his full arc would be nice.”
Whether or not they decide to expand the duology into a trilogy is yet to be determined, but it will be an exciting and welcome surprise for fans.
What other adaptations can you expect in the upcoming year?
In addition to the movie Dune: Part Two, there are more book adaptations to look forward to in 2023: Circe, A Court of Thorns and Roses, Daisy Jones and the Six, The Idea of You, It Ends with Us, The Inheritance Games, The Love Hypothesis, The Maidens, Ninth House, People We Meet on Vacation, Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Red, White, and Royal Blue, The Selection, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, and Uglies.