Dune opened up to rave reviews from critics, but if there were any criticisms, it's that the film feels incomplete, as it only covers the first half of Frank Herbert's novel. With a Dune: Part Two officially in the works, director Denis Villenueve has given a promising update as to where the sequel is at in the production process.
Dune follows the Atreides family accepting the stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis (also referred to as Dune), which contains the most valuable substance in the universe known as the "spice." The first film's cast was one of the year's best ensembles, which featured big names like Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as Duke Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen, and Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban.
Speaking with The Hollywood Reporter's Awards Chatter podcast, Villeneuve gave some updates on the Dune sequel, sharing that the film's screenplay is almost complete and that he is enjoying the creative process of starting storyboarding. “Right now, I’m in what you call ‘soft prep,’ meaning that we are finishing the screenplay. We’ll start storyboards soon. [Dune] Part 2 is being designed right now by [production designer] Patrice [Vermette]," Villeneuve shared. "It’s that beautiful part where it’s just dreaming, looking at the ceiling and thinking about the movie, I love it. I mean, it’s like the moment where everything is possible, before we have the shock of reality that will come." For Villeneuve, he's just happy to continue working on his dream project, as Dune: Part Two was not confirmed until after the first film's release.
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, but 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. Dune racked up big numbers at the worldwide box office, which is very impressive considering its 30-day streaming span on HBO Max due to Warner Bros.' hybrid model for all of its 2021 films. After its success, a Dune sequel was officially given a green light, giving fans of the unique source material a sigh of relief.
While filming for the sequel is still months away (scheduled to begin this July), Dune: Part Two is already gearing up to be one of 2023's biggest and most promising releases. Villeneuve has teased that fans can expect an even more fun and epic film, sharing that Zendaya's Chani and Javier Bardem's Stilgar will play much bigger roles. With much of the cast and crew, like the incredible cinematographer Greig Fraser, set to return, there's no doubt that Villeneuve will once again create a memorable and visually stunning conclusion.
Dune: Part Two is set to release in theaters on October 20, 2023.