Denis Villeneuve can breathe easy as he finally gets the go-ahead to complete his two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel ‘Dune’.
Legendary Entertainment has officially given the greenlight to ‘Dune: Part Two’.
Fans can also rest easy as ‘Dune: Part One’, which opened worldwide in theatres this month, only covers half the first book in the ‘Dune’ franchise and ends on a cliffhanger as Paul Atreides — played by Timothee Chalamet — joins the Freman at the film’s end to bring peace to the desert planet of Arrakis.
“I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with ‘Dune: Part Two,’” Villeneuve said in a statement. “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.”
Toby Emmerich, Chairman Warner Bros Pictures, added, “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 theatres in October 2023.”
In a previous interview with Italian magazine Il Venerdì di Repubblica, Villeneuve had also mentioned that ‘Dune: Part Two’ will heavily feature Zendaya’s Chani, who only appeared briefly in the first movie, showing up mostly as part of Paul’s visions, until they actually meet towards the end of the film. “I’m honoured to present on-screen two talents [Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya] that are so explosive, and I can’t wait to shoot the second part of ‘Dune’ to get them back together. Knowing that in the next chapter Zendaya will be the [female] protagonist of the story,” Villeneuve explained.
Warner Bros will release ‘Dune: Part 2’ in theatres on October 20, 2023.
