While the first film took its time to establish the characters and set up their story arcs, it appears Dune: Part Two will now up the ante, as director Denis Villeneuve has compared the upcoming sequel to an 'epic war movie.'
Villeneuve, Timothée Chalamet, and Zendaya showed off new footage for Dune: Part Two at CinemaCon earlier this week. They also told attendees what fans can expect from the highly anticipated Dune 2, which covers the second half of Frank Herbert's iconic novel and focus heavily on Paul's relationship with the Fremen group.
Villeneuve described Dune 2 as the 'main course' after the 'appetizer' that was the first film. “Part One is more of a contemplative movie," Villeneuve said before debuting the Dune: Part Two trailer. "Part Two is an action-packed, epic war movie. It is much more dense. We went to all-new locations. I didn’t want a feeling of repetition. It’s all new sets. Everything is new.” The director also added that 100% of Dune: Part Two was shot in IMAX, compared to 40% of the first film being shot in that format.
With Dune: Part Two being the conclusion to the first novel, it makes sense that the film will present an even greater scope and is dialing up the action, as much of the story will center around Paul seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. "In the first movie, Paul is a student,” Chalamet said of his character. “We really see Paul Atreides become a leader … become a redeemer of the Fremen people in a sense.”
Whatever the outcome, it's a relief knowing Dune 2 will see the light of day, as it wasn't initially a guarantee. Roughly a week after the first film was released, the sequel was finally given the green light, and fans were able to let out a sigh of relief. While it's unclear if Villeneuve will return for more sequels, as he has expressed interest in adapting the Dune: Messiah novel into a film, the prequel spinoff series titled Dune: The Sisterhood has already begun production. It is set thousands of years before Dune and focuses on the Bene Gesserit's origins.
Dune: Part Two arrives in theatres on November 3, 2023.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter