The film, based on Frank Herbert’s iconic 1965 novel of the same name, is directed by Denis Villeneuve, who had previously helmed the Oscar-winning sci-fi epics “Arrival” and “Blade Runner 2049.” It is the second film adaptation of Herbert’s novel, following 1984’s “Dune,” which was directed by David Lynch and considered a financial and critical failure.
2021’s “Dune” debuted in US movie theaters on Thursday, as well as simultaneously appearing on the streaming platform HBO Max. It stars Timothée Chalamet as the messianic protagonist Paul Atreides, alongside a supporting cast that includes Zendaya as his love interest, Oscar Isaac as his father, Rebecca Ferguson as his mother, Josh Brolin as his mentor and Jason Momoa as his best friend.
Legendary Entertainment, who produced “Dune,” announced that its sequel had been greenlit in a tweet on Tuesday. Major movie studio Warner Bros. will also help finance and distribute the sequel, according to Variety.
The film itself teased that a sequel was possible with an opening title card identifying it as “Dune: Part One,” but a sequel was hardly guaranteed. However, it made more than $41 million at the US domestic box office this past weekend, adding to a cumulative worldwide intake that currently stands at more than $223 million on a budget of $165 million. It debuted in other countries and territories throughout October, performing better than post-COVID-19 pandemic expectations.
Unlike its predecessor, the sequel to “Dune” is expected to be an exclusively theatrical release.
“We are thrilled to continue on this journey with Denis [Villeneuve] 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,” said Warner Bros. Pictures Group chairman Toby Emmerich.
“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,” Villeneuve said in a statement. “This is only the beginning,” he added.