‘Dune: Part 2’: Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and More!
Dune: Part 2, the highly anticipated sequel to the 2021 hit film Dune, is set to continue the epic journey of Paul Atreides and his quest for revenge against those who destroyed his family. Directed by Denis Villeneuve and featuring an all-star cast, Dune: Part Two has been generating buzz as one of the most anticipated films of 2023. However, due to the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes, Warner Bros. has pushed the release date to March 15, 2024.
So what can fans expect from the upcoming sequel? The movie promises to be an even grander and more intense installment. Here’s what we know so far about the forthcoming Dune: Part 2.
The Dune Sequel
Dune: Part 2 had yet to be confirmed in 2021, and in September of that year, Villeneuve weighed in on the potential sequel.
“The tough task here was to introduce you guys to the world, to the ideas, to this world, to the codes, the cultures, the different families, the different planets,” the director said.
“Now, once this is done, it becomes an insane playground. So it will allow me to go berserk and really create…I should not say that, but I will say that, for me, Dune Part I is like an appetizer, and Dune Part II is the main meal. As much as Dune Part I was by far my most exciting project ever, Dune Part II is already getting me more, even more excited. That’s all I will say,” said Villeneuve.
Shortly after Dune‘s theatrical release, Legendary and Warner Bros. confirmed they were moving ahead with Dune: Part 2. Production got underway in 2022, filming on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Italy.
The Story of Dune
Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides (played brilliantly by Timothée Chalamet), a gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding. To ensure the future of his family and his people, Paul and his family are tasked with traveling to the most dangerous planet in the universe.
Not long after arriving on the planet, malevolent forces explode into conflict over an exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence. This commodity, which is capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential, is cherished deeply by the planet’s inhabitants. And it quickly becomes apparent that only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
The Story of Dune: Part 2
The official synopsis for Dune: Part 2 reads:
“This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
Villeneuve said in August 2021 that Chani, played by Zendaya, will have a bigger role in Dune: Part 2.
“I can’t wait to shoot the second part of Dune,” said Villeneuve, regarding the two leads, Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet. “Knowing that in the next chapter, Zendaya will be the protagonist of the story.”
Both Dune and Dune: Part 2 cover the first Dune book, so there are still so many stories to tell.
The Team Behind Dune: Part 2
Villeneuve returns to direct Dune: Part 2. He also is responsible for writing the script alongside Jon Spaihts. Greig Fraser also returns as the film’s cinematographer with Hans Zimmer as the composer. Craig Mazin, known for his work in The Last of Us, is also credited for his contribution to the script rewrites.
“I’ll work with certain directors when they call because I love them and because they’re so brilliant, so if, like Denis Villeneuve calls, then absolutely. I’m there for, three-four weeks, a month, to work on what you’re working on,” said Mazin.
Villeneuve talked about his preparation for the filming process, as production of Dune: Part 2 started almost a year later rather than right away.
“The good news is that a lot of the work has been done already regarding design, casting, locations, and writing. So we’re not starting from scratch. It’s not a long period of time, but I will try to face that challenge because it’s important for me that the audience sees Part Two as soon as possible. It’s not a sequel where it’s another episode or another story with the same characters,” said Villeneuve.
“It actually has direct continuity to the first movie. It’s the second part of the big, huge movie that I’m trying to do. So, the sooner, the better,” added the director.
Dune: Part 2 Cast
While we’re not big on spoilers at FanBolt, we can assume that if you’re reading this post, you’ve already seen 2021’s Dune. Thus, you already know that some characters don’t survive the first film.
Aside from Chalamet returning as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as Chani, other stars who will return for Dune: Part 2 include Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabah, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, and Charlotte Rampling.
In March 2022, it was announced that Florence Pugh would be joining Dune: Part 2 as Princess Irulan Corrino.
Austin Butler is also joining Dune: Part 2 as Feyd-Rautha, and Christopher Walken plays Emperor Shaddam IV. Lea Seydoux also joined the cast as Lady Margot and Souhella Yacoub will play Fremen leader Shishakli.
Ferguson also expressed how excited she was for the sequel to Collider.
“I’m smiling so much right now. It’s so f***ing good. I get emotional talking about it because I love Denny I love Greig, and I love the team. But dude, number one is phenomenal and big and grandiose, and then you go close-ups and the imagery and the acting. Yeah, it’s all great. It’s f***ing nothing compared to number two. Number two, it’s like a f***ing gut punch. It’s unreal,” said Ferguson.
Returning Cast Members
As far as returning cast members, it is likely that we’ll see the following actors return for the sequel:
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Javier Bardem as Stilgar
- Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban
- Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen
- Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
- Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat
Regarding cast members not returning for Dune: Part 2, we do not expect that Oscar Isaac (Duke Leto) and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Dr. Liet-Kynes) will return due to their characters’ death in the first film. However, as far as Jason Momoa, book fans know, he returns in Dune Messiah as a ghola clone. So it is possible that we’ll see him return for the sequel.
Dune: Part 2 Release Date
Director Denis Villeneuve has, since the beginning, expressed his desire to make Dune a two-part cinematic event. Once receiving news of the green light for the sequel, Villeneuve commented, “I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two. It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune, and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary, and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream. This is only the beginning.”
Dune brought in $40.1 million opening weekend at the domestic box office, even as it simultaneously hit HBO Max. With a pre-marketing budget of $165 million, the adaptation has earned more than $402 million globally. Since Legendary put up 80% of the production budget, making the planned sequel was their call.
Dune: Part 2 will be premiering in theaters on March 15, 2024. The sequel was set to premiere on October 20, 2023, then pushed back to November 17, 2023. The film moved up its premiere to November 3, 2023, but was pushed even further to its 2024 date because of the ongoing WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes.
The sequel will be released exclusively to theaters, and a digital version will be available a few months later. This follows the controversial move by Warner Bros. during the pandemic to put all of its films on streaming platforms the same day they hit theaters. By 2021, the studio decided on a 45-day release window between the theatrical release and its availability on the streaming platforms. The films would then go to Max after a 45-day theatrical run.
This move led to people watching the first Dune movie on HBO Max.
Dune: Sisterhood – A Spin-Off Series
Aside from Dune: Part 2, a spinoff series is underway for Max, called Dune: Sisterhood. But that’s not all, as Villeneuve talked about how much he loves Dune’s sequel book, Dune Messiah.
“There is Dune’s second book, The Messiah of Dune, which could make an extraordinary film. I always saw that there could be a trilogy. After that, we’ll see. It’s years of work; I can’t think of going further than that,” said Villeneuve.
Will There Be a Dune: Part 3?
This is a valid question. How many Dune sequels will we get?
So Dune and Dune: Part 2 only cover the first book (Dune) in Frank Herbert’s series. There are six books in the series. So if Dune: Part 2 is as successful as the first film, we’ll likely get another sequel based on the second book, Dune Messiah.
There’s no news on this yet, though Villeneuve has already hinted at this possibility in interviews. Read what he said to EW below.
“I always envisioned three movies … It’s not that I want to do a franchise, but this is Dune, and Dune is a huge story. To honor it, I think you would need at least three movies. That would be the dream. To follow Paul Atreides and his full arc would be nice … Herbert wrote six books, and the more he was writing, the more it was getting psychedelic … So I don’t know how some of them could be adapted. One thing at a time. If I ever have the chance to do Dune: Part Two and Dune Messiah, I’m blessed.”
Dune: Part 2 Trailers
Fan Commentary Time!
Have you seen Dune? Are excited for Dune: Part 2? Sound off with your thoughts and hopes for the sequel in the comment section below!
This article was originally published on November 28, 2021, updated on May 6, 2023, and most recently updated on September 7, 2023.
I have not seen Dune yet but it is on my list. I read the book earlier this year and it looks very close to the book. So thrilled they will get to complete the story of book 1 (six in total)