Fans can breathe a sigh of release. A sequel to Dune has officially been greenlighted and has even been given a release date– October 20, 2023. Director, executive producer, and co-screenwriter Denis Villeneuve will be back to complete his original vision. Unlike the current Dune film, the second will be released in theaters only, not on HBO Max. The practice of releasing potential blockbusters day-and-date on streaming services has been widely criticized and blamed for lackluster box office performances.
Villeneuve had always planned to make a second Dune, as the first film only adapts half of Frank Herbert’s dense 412-page 1965 novel. But due to COVID-19 and the fact that Warner Bros. released it on HBO Max, there were concerns that the first Dune wouldn’t make enough money to justify a sequel. Luckily, thanks to positive reviews and word of mouth, it has made $223.2 million on a budget of $165 million. Under normal circumstances, that isn’t stellar, but considering that this was always meant to be “Part 1 of 2” it’s enough for Legendary and Warner Bros. to deliver the second helping.
Legendary officially announced:
“Legendary is pleased to officially move forward with Dune: Part Two … once again based on the amazing books written by Frank Herber. We would not have gotten to this point without the extraordinary vision of Denis and the amazing work of his talented crew, the writers, our stellar cast, our partners at Warner Bros., and of course the fans! Here’s to more Dune.”
Villeneuve posted:
“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.”
Finally, Chairman of Warner Bros Picture Group, Toby Emmerich stated:
“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.”
Dune is now playing in theaters and can be streamed on HBO Max in the United States. Are you excited that Villeneuve will be able to complete this adaptation?
