The first Dune trailer amassed almost 40 million views when it dropped last year, making it instantly clear that this adaptation had the potential to be a major new franchise for Warner Bros.
Writer-director Denis Villeneuve is among the most vocal supporters for Dune: Part Two, expressing in several interviews that he’s keen to reunite with his all-star cast and complete his version of Frank Herbert’s legendary novel.
Indeed, his first Dune movie covers a lot of ground, introducing the members of House Atreides as well as other key figures in this complex, futuristic world – but ultimately, it only gets through the first two-thirds of Herbert’s original book.
It is understood that a sequel would conclude this first chapter of the saga, while also setting the stage for a potential third movie based on the sequel novel Dune: Messiah.
However, it’s important to note that there’s no guarantee of either project going ahead just yet, as that will depend on whether the film turns a healthy profit at the global box office – no easy feat amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
For now, read on for everything we know so far about Dune: Part 2, including release date rumours, returning cast members and plot details.
Dune: Part 2 release date rumours
If Dune proves to be the commercial success that the studio is hoping for, it appears that director Denis Villeneuve won’t waste any time getting the ball rolling on a follow-up.
In fact, he told IGN that he “would be very ready to go quite quickly” after getting the thumbs up from Warner Bros, having already put a considerable amount of work into the script for the sequel.
He continued: “To go quickly into 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 greenlit sooner than later, I will say that I will be ready to shoot in 2022 for sure.”
The first Dune movie commenced principal photography in mid-March 2019 and had wrapped by late July that same year, encompassing approximately four-and-a-half months in total.
If the sequel gets prompt confirmation and sticks to a similar timeline, there’s every chance production could be wrapped by the end of next year, which would put it on track for a 2023 release date.
While Dune: Part Two is set to complete Villeneuve’s adaptation of the original book, that doesn’t necessarily mean the film franchise will end there, as the director has also taken interest in tackling the sequel novel.
“There is Dune’s second book, The Messiah of Dune [aka Dune: Messiah], which could make an extraordinary film,” he told CBC Radio Canada. “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.”
Dune: Part 2 cast
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If Dune: Part Two were to go ahead, it’s all but guaranteed that Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson would return as Paul Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica, who narrowly escaped execution in the first film.
They found refuge in a Fremen tribe that counts Stilgar (Skyfall’s Javier Bardem) and Chani (Spider-Man: No Way Home‘s Zendaya) among its number, so expect both characters to reappear in the sequel.
The brutal destruction of House Atreides left the fate of some of its closest allies up in the air, but if Villeneuve stays loyal to the book then we’ll likely see more from Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck) and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Thufir Hawat) too.
On the other hand, there were some major deaths that will take several big characters out of the running for now, most notably Oscar Isaac’s Duke Leto, Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho and Sharon Duncan-Brewster’s Dr Liet-Kynes.
In the supporting cast, neither the traitorous Dr Wellington Yueh (Chang Chen) nor Piter De Vries (The Suicide Squad‘s David Dastmalchian) made it out alive, creating two more vacant positions in the large Dune ensemble cast.
It’s a good thing too, because Villeneuve has some important characters to introduce in Dune: Part Two, including Baron Harkonnen’s nephew Feyd-Rautha and the sinister Emperor.
Dune: Part 2 plot spoilers
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*Warning: potential spoilers for Dune: Part Two*
The first Dune novel is split up into three parts – titled Dune, Mua’dib, and The Prophet respectively – with this film adaptation being an abridged version of the first two, meaning the story is far from complete.
The final section of Dune is in many ways the most action-packed, as with all his complex world-building out of the way, Herbert is able to put more emphasis on driving his story forward.
It seems like the same would be true of Villeneuve’s adaptation, as the filmmaker alluded to hitting the ground running in a second movie and promising even more spectacle than the first.
“If such a thing as Dune: Part Two happens, I will say that it’s going to be an insane playground for me because I had the task to explain this world to the audience,” he told Variety. “Now it is explained, it means I can just have fun with cinema.”
Picking up where the first film left off, Part Two would likely begin with Paul and Jessica settling into their new life among the Fremen tribe Sietch Tabr.
After experiencing vivid visions of Chani for some time before arriving on Arrakis, the connection between herself and Paul only grows deeper, as they become a couple and have a child together.
Meanwhile, Jessica takes on the respected Bene Gesserit role of Reverend Mother for the Fremen she lives among, but doing so will require her to undergo a painful trial that threatens the life of her unborn child.
As Paul quickly rises through the ranks of the Fremen to become their leader, the stage is set for an epic confrontation between his forces and those of the Harkonnens who so brutally ousted them.
If you’re wondering whether the film is a family watch, here is more information on Dune’s age rating.
Is there a Dune: Part 2 trailer?
Not just yet – in fact, the film is not even guaranteed to move forward right now. If it does get the green light and production starts at pace, we could potentially get a first look in late 2022 or early 2023.
Dune is released in UK cinemas on Thursday 21st October. Check out more of our Sci-Fi coverage or visit our TV Guide to see what’s on tonight.