In unsurprising but positive news, Dune has been confirmed to be getting a sequel, with Denis Villeneuve once again at the helm. 

Legendary and Warner Bros. have decided to move ahead with a sequel for the epic sci-fi film, with the second in the series currently set for release in October 2023.

Villeneuve sounded happy in a statement, the director having previously discussed his hope of making Dune into a two-part event.

“I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two,” he said. “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.”

And there’s added good news with future Willy Wonka Timothée Chalamet confirmed to return as Paul Atreides for Dune: Part Two. It’s not known if the other stars of Dune’s massive ensemble – Zendaya (Chani), Stellan Skarsgård (Vladimir Harkonnen), Oscar Isaac (Leto Atreides), Jason Momoa (Duncan Idaho), Josh Brolin (Gurney Halleck) – will also return though.

With the studio just having officially greenlit the sequel, filming hasn’t started for part two yet, although expect it to begin next year.

Frank Herbert’s original 1965 novel was infamously thought to be unadaptable for cinema, with filmmakers Alejandro Jodorowsky and David Lynch struggling massively in their own attempts to make it for the big screen. Perhaps Villeneuve will fare better by doing it in two parts.

With a budget of USD $165 million, Dune has surpassed that number at the box office already, earning USD $223.2 million so far.

If you want to catch part one of Dune, the film is currently in both cinemas and HBO Max now, where it’ll be available for streaming until 30 days after its initial release.

For more on this topic, follow the Film & TV Observer.

Check out the trailer for Dune:

Get unlimited access to the coverage that shapes our culture.
to Rolling Stone magazine
to Rolling Stone magazine