With a sci-fi auteur behind the lens and a whole red carpet’s worth of stars in front of it, we all knew 2021’s Dune was going to make a major blockbusting impact.
Even so, we were probably still taken aback at just how spicy the movie turned out to be. It’s rightfully nominated for Best Picture at this year’s Oscars, and some of those stunning desert vistas are probably still singed into your eyeballs: our critic Matt Glasby was impressed too, claiming that director Denis Villeneuve “has achieved something beyond an impressive adaptation”.
We’ve got plenty of questions about what’s next for the fallen House Atreides in Dune: Part Two, but let’s start with some confirmed news: the sequel is scheduled to hit Australian cinemas on October 23, 2023. Only 600 days or so away!!
A spokesperson from production company Legendary literally announced “Here’s to more Dune!” back in October 2021, after the movie built up enough serious box office bombast. Frankly (Frank Herbertly, if you like), it would’ve been kinda embarrassing if a sequel wasn’t greenlit, considering that the epic film only covers half of the first book, and included plenty of allusions to the future of Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya).
In the interview below, Villeneuve claims that Part One was but an introduction to the rest of what he’s got planned. Now that enough of the characters and concepts have all been established, Part Two “will be an opportunity to just have much more fun with cinema.”
More fun with cinema? Yes please, considering that Hans Zimmer and Greig Fraser should return for more exceptional music and cinematography respectively.
We better see Timmy rise to become the Muad’dib of legend and ride that damn Shai-Hulud by the end of Part Two. Afterwards, Villeneuve and his team can crack on with adapting the tragic Dune Messiah. And there’s also that Dune: The Sisterhood series we’re waiting on: geez, this franchise has really sandwormed itself into our brains.
