An Image featuring Dune director Denis Villeneuve. Source: Collider

The 54-year-old Oscar-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, who will return to write, direct, and co-produce the Warner Bros science fiction Dune Part Two, based on 1965’s Frank Herbert's novel, has confirmed that the second installment of the blockbuster Dune films’ shooting will start after the fall of next year. Villeneuve shared the details while speaking with The Hollywood Reporter in a recent interview.

"It's fantastic news, but it's also kind of a burden," the filmmaker said. "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. 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.”

When asked if he will start the shooting of the film in the spring of next year, Villeneuve replied, "That's too soon," the filmmaker added. "We still have a lot of work to do. It'd probably be more towards fall, and even that would be fast. (Laughs.)"

Villeneuve after the release of Dune had already revealed that he was working on the second part of the film in a separate interview. "I'm writing [Part Two] now, and I feel like I'm eight years old again," he continued. "That's very uncommon for me. It's the first time I've experienced it where I'm watching one of my movies, and I have a moment of deep gratitude, of deep joy, and I say, 'Thank you, life, for having allowed me to bring that to the screen.' [laughs] I don't know how other people will feel about it. But me? Denis Villeneuve when he was 14 years old? Thank you."

A Poster of Warner Brothers' newly released film Dune. Source: Collider

With production under the banner of Legendary Pictures in association with Villeneuve Films, Dune featured a star-studded cast of Timothée Chalamet in the role of Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson in the role of Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac in the role of Duke Leto Atreides, Josh Brolin in the role of Gurney Halleck, Stellan Skarsgård in the role of Vladimir Harkonnen, Dave Bautista in the role of Glossu Rabban, Stephen McKinley Henderson in the role of Thufir Hawat, Zendaya in the role of Chani, David Dastmalchian in the role of Piter De Vries, Chang Chen in the role of Dr. Wellington Yueh, Sharon Duncan-Brewster in the role of Dr. Liet-Kynes, Charlotte Rampling in the role of Gaius Helen Mohiam, Jason Momoa in the role of Duncan Idaho, and Javier Bardem in the role of Stilgar.

Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Villeneuve were responsible for the production of the film with distribution under the banner of entertainment giant Warner Bros. Pictures.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune arrived in theatres on October 22, 2021, with the story of the film mainly focusing on a brilliant young man, Paul Atreides, who travels to a dangerous planet in order to protect the future of his family and friends. Atreides finds himself in big trouble after he realizes that the planet has evil forces that are continuously trying to destroy it.