Unless it was a complete bomb, a sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was always all but assured. With good reviews, solid streaming numbers, and 10 Oscar nomination for the first, the second installment starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya is now confirmed. Slated for an October 2023 release, Dune: Part Two will again take place in the inhospitable Arrakis desert in the far off future. This time around, the messiah Paul Atriedes (Chalamet) is in the throes of a journey towards his destiny, battling the Harkonnen and Emperor Shaddam IV along the way. Fortunately, he has backup in the form of the Fremen—and most notably, the Fremen warrior Chani who’s played by Zendaya.
We have nearly a year and a half to go until Dune: Part Two hits theaters, but a surprising amount is already known about the film. Here, everything we’ve learned of what Villeneuve, Chalamet, and Zendaya have in store so far.
Who’s in the cast of Dune: Part Two?
Fret not: Both Zendaya and Chalamet are confirmed to return. The same goes for Rebecca Ferguson and Josh Brolin, who are presumably reprising their roles as Lady Jessica Atreides and Gurney Halleck. They’ll have plenty of new company, starting with Léa Seydoux in the role of Lady Margot, a servant of the Sisterhood. Florence Pugh will play Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler will portray Feyd-Rathua, the heir of Brown Vladimir Harkonnen. Christopher Walken will round out the cast as the ruthless Emperor Shaddam IV.
Will Zendaya get more screen time?
Thankfully, yes. The 25-year-old appeared in just seven minutes of the original, much to the disappoint of the fans who sat through its whopping two-hour-and-35-minute run time. Villeneuve has said that Dune: Part Two will primarily focus on Chalamet’s character, but also promised that we’ll get to know those who were sidelined in the original much better.
“There are some characters that are less developed that I’m keeping for the second film—that’s the way I found the equilibrium,” he told the Los Angeles Times last fall, noting that it was always his plan to make two films. “We tried in this movie to stay as close as possible to Paul’s experience. Then, in the second one, I will have time to develop some characters that were left aside a little bit” As Zendaya’s character, the Fremen warrior Chani, said at the end of part one, “this is only the beginning.”
How much Dune are we getting?
Knowing Villeneuve, don’t be surprised if the sequel also clocks in at more than two-and-a-half hours. On top of that, a spinoff series titled Dune: Sisterhood is approaching a year into development at HBO Max. “As a storytelling universe, Dune has extraordinary potential,” Dune writer Jon Spaihts told the Times.“This is a universe of 10,000 worlds, with civilizations spanning millennia and so many schools and tribes of people caught up in political intrigue, spiritual searches, battles and ancient vendettas.” Plus, there are about a million characters to delve into.
When is Dune: Part Two getting released?
Production is set to begin this fall, putting the film on track to come out on October 20, 2023. As for why it’s so far off, chances are Chalamet has something to do with it. Between playing a young Willy Wonka and reuniting with Call Me By Your Name director Luca Guadagnino on a cannibal movie, the 26-year-old Academy Award nominee has been staying booked and busy.
Source: W Magazine
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