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Warner Bros. has officially unveiled the expected release date for two of its upcoming cinematic sequels. Godzilla vs. Kong will trample into theaters on March 15, 2024, while Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two will be shifting from an October 2023 release to a November 2023 theatrical debut.
The theatrical release shift for Dune: Part Two places the film in the pre-Thanksgiving release window, hopefully leading to tremendous audience turnout for Villeneuve's film. The November release date, however, puts the film up against the developing prequel The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, which looks to debut on the same day. The two films look to engage in a box office tug of war unless changes push one closer to a Christmas holiday release.
Villeneuve's Dune was released in October 2021 and debuted simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max due to concerns surrounding the pandemic. The film generated roughly $93 million domestically and was the thirteenth best-performing film at the box office that year. At the time, Dune was the highest-grossing project from Warner Bros. worldwide during the pandemic and was a critical success, earning six wins from its ten Academy Award nominations.
Dune: Part Two will see the return of Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, and other significant figures from Villeneuve's first film, alongside a talented array of newcomers primed to elevate the film. Recently, Warner Bros. announced Crimes of the Future Léa Seydoux's inclusion in the sequel as Lady Margot, along with Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Elvis star Austin Butler. It'll be intriguing to see the new cast and how their presence will affect the path of the story's main characters.
Meanwhile, the untitled Godzilla vs. Kong sequel is set to make its theatrical debut in March 2024 and will look to continue the story crafted by the original 2021 film. Like Dune, the film was released simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max, generating roughly $100.9 million domestically, making it the twelfth best-performing film of the year. Adam Wingard will return to direct the Godzilla vs. Kong sequel, but nothing regarding the film's story has officially risen to the surface. There will presumably be additions to the cast, but those announcements may remain in limbo until the wheels of development turn.
While patience will be hard to contain, establishing a release date for the two projects is exciting news for audiences eager to dive back into their continued narratives. Both projects will be released in IMAX and will look to capitalize on an exclusive theatrical release, which should attract those excited to witness the adventures on the big screen. More information should surface from both films as their release dates inch closer into view, but audiences can now rest knowing that the sequels are set and are officially a part of the future cinematic plans for Warner Bros.
Dune: Part Two will hit theaters on November 17, 2023, while Godzilla vs. Kong will land on March 15, 2024.
Source: The Wrap