Coming off of the success of Dune, director Denis Villeneuve is gearing up to film the sequel, Dune: Part Two, this July. Now, the filmmaker has revealed that the script is pretty much ready and that the highly anticipated sequel will include many more IMAX shots.
Before Villeneuve signed on to direct an adaptation of Dune in 2017, his one condition was that he would split the novel into two parts. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic and the uncertainty in Hollywood, there was no guarantee that a part two would even be made, even with a talent like Villeneuve on board. But after racking up big numbers at the worldwide box office (which is very impressive considering its simultaneous 30-day streaming span on HBO Max), a sequel was officially given a green light less than a week after Dune's big release, giving fans of the unique source material a sigh of relief.
Speaking with Collider, Villeneuve first shared the pressures of making a Dune sequel and how it will certainly be a challenge to conclude what was set up in the first film. "The first one, it was more to make sure that we will land in the world and that the movie will be accepted," Villeneuve said. "Now it's to make sure that we can close that first book, so it's like there's some premises that are in the first movie that I need to ignore. So yeah, I think I would say there's more pressure with the second one in some ways."
As for Dune: Part Two's script, Villeneuve has a mostly complete screenplay that he feels confident in now but one he knows will evolve as the film's production progresses. "The screenplay is finished mostly, but it's always a work in progress. It'll be a work in progress until final cut, but I will say it's solidified. I have a script in my hands. We are in prep right now," Villeneuve added. Another big and obvious success of Dune are the visuals, which were mostly presented through IMAX cameras to enhance the look and scale of worlds such as Arrakis and other planets. "Definitely. [Cinematographer] Greig Fraser and I, we fell in love with this format, and definitely there be—even probably more—IMAX footage in this movie. Definitely."
Fraser, who is known for shooting other acclaimed projects such as Star Wars: Rogue One, Zero Dark Thirty, Foxcatcher, Vice, and The Batman, has earned an Academy Award nomination for his work on Dune. And while Villeneuve is certainly looking forward to the Oscars, his focus has mainly been on Dune: Part Two. "My crew, we are in full prep for the movie. And with the awards seasons, it's tricky. My brain is like, it's like two parts of my brain that don't connect together ... And I'm not complaining," Villeneuve added.
From Florence Pugh and Austin Butler joining the cast, and now having a script mostly finished, the excitement level will only continue to build from here on out. The film will see the return of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Zendaya as Chani, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen, and Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban.
Dune: Part Two is slated to release in theaters on October 20, 2023.
Source: Collider