‘Dune: Part Two’: Release Date, Cast, Trailer, and More!
This fall, the highly anticipated sequel to Dune, Dune: Part 2, hits theaters. And audiences will finally be able to see the continuation of the epic sci-fi story.
For those of you not familiar with Dune‘s history, it’s based on the first of six books by Frank Herbert. And if you haven’t read the books, the ending of the 2021 film leaves us with an onslaught of unanswered questions, much like the first Lord of The Rings film.
To build on the hype, a new film trailer was released this week, which we have below.
Dune: Part 2 Trailer
The Story of Dune
Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides (played brilliantly by Timothée Chalamet), a gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding. To ensure the future of his family and his people, Paul and his family are tasked with traveling to the most dangerous planet in the universe.
Not long after arriving on the planet, malevolent forces explode into conflict over an exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence. This commodity, which is capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential, is cherished deeply by the planet’s inhabitants. And it quickly becomes apparent that only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Dune: Part 2 Release Date News
Shortly after Dune’s theatrical release, Legendary and Warner Bros. confirmed that they were moving ahead with Dune: Part 2. Production got underway in 2022, filming on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Italy. And a release date of November 3, 2023, was set.
Director Denis Villeneuve has, since the beginning, expressed his desire to make Dune a two-part cinematic event. Once receiving news of the green light for the sequel, Villeneuve commented, “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.”
Dune brought in $40.1 million opening weekend at the domestic box office, even as it simultaneously hit HBO Max. With a pre-marketing budget of $165 million, the adaptation has earned more than $402 million globally. Since Legendary put up 80% of the production budget, making the planned sequel was their call.
Dune: Part 2 Cast
While we’re not big on spoilers at FanBolt, we can assume that if you’re reading this post, you’ve already seen 2021’s Dune. Thus, you already know that some characters don’t survive the first film.
As far as returning cast members, it is likely that we’ll see the following actors return for the sequel:
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Javier Bardem as Stilgar
- Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban
- Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Harkonnen
- Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
- Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat
Regarding cast members not returning for Dune: Part 2, we do not expect that Oscar Isaac (Duke Leto) and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Dr. Liet-Kynes) will return due to their characters’ death in the first film. However, as far as Jason Momoa, book fans know, he returns in Dune Messiah as a ghola clone. So it is possible that we’ll see him return for the sequel.
New Characters
Several new characters are joining the Dune cast, including Austin Butler, who will play Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Additionally, Christopher Walker will star as Emperor Shaddam IV. And Florence Pugh also joins the cast as Princess Irulan.
Will There Be a Dune: Part 3?
This is a valid question. How many Dune sequels will we get?
So Dune and Dune: Part 2 only cover the first book (Dune) in Frank Herbert’s series. There are six books in the series. So if Dune: Part 2 is as successful as the first film, we’ll likely get another sequel based on the second book, Dune Messiah.
There’s no news on this yet, though Villeneuve has already hinted at this possibility in interviews. Read what he said to EW below.
“I always envisioned three movies … It’s not that I want to do a franchise, but this is Dune, and Dune is a huge story. To honor it, I think you would need at least three movies. That would be the dream. To follow Paul Atreides and his full arc would be nice … Herbert wrote six books, and the more he was writing, the more it was getting psychedelic … So I don’t know how some of them could be adapted. One thing at a time. If I ever have the chance to do Dune: Part Two and Dune Messiah, I’m blessed.”
Fan Commentary Time!
Have you seen Dune? Are excited for Dune: Part 2? Sound off with your thoughts and hopes for the sequel in the comment section below!
This article was originally published on November 28, 2021 and was most recently updated on May 6, 2023.
I have not seen Dune yet but it is on my list. I read the book earlier this year and it looks very close to the book. So thrilled they will get to complete the story of book 1 (six in total)