Dune gets green light for a sequel. Image Source: The Indian Express
After the success and a positive response from the critics and the audience, Legendary Entertainment, owned by Chinese conglomerate Dalian Wanda Group Co., and Warner Bros. Pictures Group, announced on Tuesday that Denis Villeneuve’s "Dune" is getting a sequel. "Dune" is an adaptation of the first half of Frank Herbert’s 1965 science-fiction epic of the same name. The second part of the movie is slated for release on 20th October 2023.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, actor Timothée Chalamet will reprise his role as Paul Atreides in part two of the Dune franchise. Dune is a science fiction novel set in the future that follows Paul Atreides and his Nobel family as they fight for the hazardous desert planet Arrakis, which is the only known location of the galaxy's most vital and mind-altering material, "spice."
A still from "Dune". Image Source: Game Rant
Following the betrayal of Paul and his family, the novel addresses issues of politics, religion, and man's relationship with nature as Paul leads a rebellion to reclaim his family's throne. Denis Villeneuve who argued with Warner Bros. stating that the movie only belongs on the big screen, mentioned in one of his interviews that he aspires to tell the story in two parts because of the complexity of the source. With the sequel’s announcement, the director couldn’t contain his happiness and expressed his gratitude towards the makers for allowing him to continue his vision.
In a statement, the director said, "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." Legendary Entertainment in their statement said, "We would not have gotten to this point without the extraordinary vision of Denis and the amazing work of his talented crew, the writers, our stellar cast, our partners at Warner Bros, and of course the fans! Here’s to more "Dune."
According to Denis Villeneuve, who spoke to Reuters, "It was by far the most difficult thing I've ever done. I needed to strike a balance between those who had read the book and those who hadn't... I wanted them to get the impression that it was a true tribute to the spirit of the book. At the same time, I wanted individuals who had never heard of the book to feel included, not excluded."
The chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group, Toby Emmerich, also expressed in a statement that the team is thrilled and looking forward to continuing the journey with the Dune cast and Denis Villeneuve’s vision of Dune. He said, "Denis Villeneuve has crafted a film that is both visually extraordinary and emotionally transporting, as evidenced by its global success both critically and at the box office. We are thrilled to continue on this journey with Denis and his cast and crew, and our partners at Legendary, and can’t wait to bring the next chapter of this epic tale to theaters in October 2023".
The first part of the movie stars Academy Award nominee Timothée Chalamet, Emmy Award winner Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. The movie garnered a positive response from across the world and has grossed $255 million worldwide, where it was launched with a solid $40.1 million. An earlier version of "Dune" was released in 1984 that featured Sting and Kylie MacLachlan, which was directed by David Lynch.
Recently, ace director Christopher Nolan in his recent The Director’s Cut podcast appreciated the stars of the movie and the director. He said, "It’s one of the most seamless marriages of live-action photography and computer-generated visual effects that I’ve seen. It’s very, very compelling at every turn. His entire team did an incredible job. I think this film is going to introduce a whole new generation of fans to Dune who have never read the book or encourage fans to go read the book."
Christopher Nolan further added, "I think it’s an incredible piece of work. I’ve had the luxury of seeing it a couple of times now, and each time I watch it I discover new things, new details about the world. How it’s made is for the big screen. It’s a real pleasure and a real gift to film fans everywhere".
The news of the sequel comes off like a cherry on the top for the entire cast of "Dune" after the success of part one. Timothée Chalamet also shared a poster on his social media announcing the sequel, and his fans and supporters filled up his comment section with love and support. The movie is streaming now in theatres.
