Dune 2 has officially been greenlighted by Legendary, so Denis Villeneuve will return to complete the story. The reason is simple: the overwhelming success of the first part.

The production of Dune 2 is now officially on its way. After an impressive opening weekend, when Denis Villeneuve’s Dune debuted in theatres and on HBO Max, Legendary‘s official social media account has confirmed that there will be a sequel, currently titled “Dune: Part 2”, which is accompanied by an opening (teaser) poster. It was also announced that the sequel is scheduled for 20 October 2023 and that the premiere will probably only take place in cinemas (if COVID doesn’t intervene – ed.).

This is only the beginning…

Thank you to those who have experienced @dunemovie so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We're excited to continue the journey! pic.twitter.com/mZj68Hnm0A

— Legendary (@Legendary) October 26, 2021

Denis Villeneuve returns after directing, producing and co-writing the first Dune. In a statement, the director said of the news of the sequel: “I have just received word from Legendary that we can officially move forward with Dune. It’s been my dream to adapt Frank Herbert’s classic, and I want to thank the fans, cast and crew, Legendary and Warner Bros for supporting this dream. This is just the beginning.”

Toby Emmerich, President of Warner Bros. Picture Group, said: “We are delighted to continue this journey with him, the cast and crew, and our partners at Legendary, and we look forward to the next chapter of this epic story in cinemas in October 2023,” .

“Legendary is excited to embark on the second part of the film. Again based on Frank Herbert’s wonderful novel,” Legendary Studios also said. “We couldn’t have gotten this far without the extraordinary vision and talent of Denis, our writers, our star cast, our partners at Warner Bros. and of course, the amazing work of our fans! Here’s to more Dune!”

Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve had initially been conceived Dune as the first part of a two-part story, so he had always planned to make a sequel. However, the project has not been officially greenlit, and the authorities were waiting to see how the public would react to the sci-fi epic. Fortunately, the film exceeded all expectations and, despite opening on the same day as HBO Max, still topped the box office. More importantly, viewers mostly enjoyed what they saw in the first Dune. The film has an 84% rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an even higher 91% audience approval rating.

Villeneuve co-wrote Dune with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth, although the film is based on Frank Herbert’s original 1965 novel, which also inspired David Lynch‘s famous 1984 film of the same name. The new remake features a strong ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa and Javier Bardem.

In The Dune, “Paul Atreides, a brilliant and talented young man born into a great destiny he cannot understand, must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to secure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces engage in an explosive conflict for the planet’s exclusive supplies, the most precious resource in existence – a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential – only those who can conquer their fears can survive.”

The Dune is currently in theatres and streaming on HBO Max.

Source: Deadline