Director Denis Villeneuve Says DUNE Sequel Is Ready to Shoot in 2022 If Greenlit
Dune has been coming our way for quite some time now. Just like the other big budget films that had been in the works over the last two years, we are finally headed toward its release date this October. And so much time has passed that the film’s director, Denis Villeneuve, has had plenty of space to think about whether the film will end as an epic standalone, or move forward with a sequel in that world, and he is definitely ready to move forward with the story.
In a recent roundtable interview, Villeneuve explained that while he knows it’s a giant scale project, he is down to put in the work:
"To go quickly in a movie of that size you still need to make sets, costumes, so we are talking about months. But if ever there's enthusiasm and the movie is green lit sooner than later, I will say that I will be ready to shoot in 2022, for sure. 2022, for sure. I would love to because I am ready to go, and I will say that I would love to bring it to the screen as soon as possible."
He had this concept in mind from the beginning, as he explained that he held back some of the story pieces that could have gone into the first film, keeping them for that potential sequel. /Film reports, “Some of the concepts and characters he held back, such as Feyd-Rautha, may surprise Dune fans. His decision to hold certain things for the sequel, however, was driven by balancing the first movie's length with making sure key parts of the book got their due on screen.”
Villeneuve explained:
"I didn't want to sacrifice elements. Where we end right now, I thought was the perfect way to feel ... we feel that Paul [the character played by Timothée Chalamet] has a completed arc, as a character for the first part. His relationship with his mother, we feel that there's something that is not a closure but something relevant there, and to keep enough stuff for the second one.”
Villeneuve also unsurprisingly emphasized that "quality will be the priority," for "Part Two." While Villeneuve's focus is on launching “Dune: Part One" and hoping "Part Two" gets off the ground, his grand vision for adapting the Dune universe to the screen encompasses three films, and two of Herbert's books:
"I envision the adaptation of two books, 'Dune' and 'Dune Messiah.' I said, 'Okay. As a filmmaker, as a screenwriter, I know how to do this.' So we decided to split the first novel in two. So now we have to have three movies. Those movies are very long to make. So for my mental sanity I decided to just dream about three movies, because I'm a big fan of all the novels. After that, I'll see where I am. But I will say that I want to focus on the aspect of these three movies right now.
He explains why the second and third film get him even more excited than making the first:
"The tough task [in 'Part One'] was to introduce you guys to this world, to the ideas, to the codes, to the cultures, the different families, the different planets. Once this is done it becomes an insane playground. So it will allow me to go berserk and really create ... I should not say this but I will say that for me 'Dune: Part One' is like an appetizer. 'Dune: Part Two' is the main meal where we can add much more. That's what I can say. As much as "Dune: Part One" was by far my most exciting project ever, 'Dune: Part Two' is already getting me even more excited."
I hope this first movie is awesome, and he gets to make that second and third film! He is certainly passionate about the story and characters, and knowing his body of work, I bet we will see something awesome come to life in his hands. Dune premieres in theaters and HBO Max on October 22, 2021. Are you hoping for another two Dune films?