According to a recent Instagram post from franchise star Timothée Chalamet, Dune 2 (officially titled Dune: Part Two) has just completed filming in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.
While Chalamet’s post doesn’t exactly provide much further context regarding what we can expect from the highly-anticipated sequel, it does confirm the production being helmed by the inimitable Denis Villeneuve is on track to meet its November 2023 release date/deadline.
As some of you may recall, Dune 2 was greenlit by both Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros before the first film even had a chance to hit global markets such as Australia. And it’s rather unsurprising considering the sci-fi epic essentially won on every single front that mattered right from the jump: hype, commercial, and critics.
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The earliest sign we were in for a cinematic treat was the eight-minute standing ovation it received during the 2021 Venice Film Festival world premiere. Then came the $401.8 million worth of global box office receipts it generates against the $165 million production budget. When award season rolled around, Villeneuve’s Dune manage to take home the golden statuette for six out of its 10 Academy Award nominations:
- Best Sound
- Best Original Score (Hans Zimmer)
- Best Film Editing (Joe Walker)
- Best Production Design (Patrice Vermette & Zsuzsanna Sipos)
- Best Cinematography (Greig Fraser)
- Best Visual Effects (Paul Lambert, Tristan Myles, Brian Connor, Gerd Nefzer)
“I wanted at the beginning to do the two parts simultaneously,” Denis Villeneuve previously told Variety.
“For several reasons, it didn’t happen, and I agreed to the challenge of making Part One and then wait to see if the movie rings enough enthusiasm.”
“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.”
“The story in itself sets up for a sequel,” said Ann Sarnoff, CEO of Warner Bros.
“The production is so amazing and the storytelling is so compelling that it’s not going to be judged on box office alone.”
Given the Frank Herbert novel’s troubled history of being translated onto screens – earning itself a place among the most “impossible” books to adapt, next to Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace and Ulysses by James Joyce – many were understandably exercising a measure of caution about the first instalment. But if anyone was going to meet exceed expectations, it’d be an auteur of Denis Villeneuve’s calibre.
In addition to Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Dune 2 re-welcomes Rebecca Ferguson as Paul’s mother and Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica; Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck – House Atreides’ weapons master and mentor to Paul; Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen – the man formerly charged with supervising planet Arrakis and sworn enemy of Leto; Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban – Baron Harkonnen’s nephew, the physical type of adversary; Zendaya as Chani – Paul’s mysterious native Arrakis love interest; Javier Bardem as Stilgar – leader of the native Arakis tribe.
Since Dune 2’s initial announcement, a handful of heavy-hitting names have been added to the cast, most notably Christopher Walken, who portrays the villainous Emperor Shaddam IV.
“Walken will play the ruler of the known universe who initially sends the Atreides family to Arrakis in order to cause their downfall,” explained The Hollywood Reporter.
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“In the continuation, he and the baron terrorise the populace and must contend with the rebellion. Jose Ferrer played the part in the 1984 movie adaptation by David Lynch.”
Other fresh faces include Hollywood it-girl Florence Pugh as Emperor Shaddam IV’s daughter Princess Irulan; Elvis star Austin Butler as Paul Atreides’ main rival, Emperor Shaddam IV’s nephew, and planned successor on Arrakis, Feyd-Rautha; plus Bond alum Lea Seydoux as Lady Margot, a Bene Gesserit and close friend of the Emperor.
Similar to 2021’s Dune, the sequel has been collaboratively adapted between Villeneuve himself, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Doctor Strange, Passengers), and Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Insider, A Star Is Born); while the cinematography has once again been accomplished by Aussie talent Greig Fraser – who you will have probably encountered in Zero Dark Thirty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Hans Zimmer has also returned to compose the score for this one.
Dune 2 (officially titled Dune: Part Two) has locked in a November 3rd of 2023 release date.
