Director Denis Villeneuve is ready to bring you and your loved ones back to a world of giant sandworms and sand and more sand and lots of other piles of sand and Timothee Chalamet in Dune Part Two, in case you didn’t get enough of that sacred spice. And sand.
Dune was a massive hit in 2021, following Chalamet as Paul Atreides, a young man with a complicated destiny. The epic sci-fi franchise, based on the book series of the same name, will get another installment next year which will follow Paul as he tries to bring peace to the people of Arrakis.
“Part One is more of a contemplative movie. Part Two is an action-packed, epic, war movie,” Villeneuve said at CinemaCon earlier this year. “It is much more dense. We went to all new locations… I didn’t want a feeling of repetition. It’s all new sets. Everything is new… This time, it’s full IMAX,” he added. What else is new with Dune Part 2 besides its fun rhyming capability? Here is everything we know so far.
Plot
While the first film followed the first half of the novel, Dune Part 2 is expected to pick up where the cliffhanger left off. In Part 2, Paul rises power among the Fremen, which includes Chani (Zendaya), while preparing to lead a rebellion against Emperor Shaddam IV. Here is the official synopsis:
Paul Atreides unites with Chani and the Fremen while seeking revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
Villeneuve has been hyping up the next installment, promising it will be worth the (already long) wait. It’s going to be another beautiful journey in the desert again,” Villeneuve told Deadline. “It’s the journey where Paul Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica, make contact with the Fremen culture and meet with the Fremen. It’s Paul’s journey against the enemy. It’s a movie that will be more cinematic.”
After all this, will there be a third installment? All signs point to yes, as Villeneuve has been working on a third film, based on the novel Dune 3: Messiah.
Cast
The stacked cast includes our good friend Timmy C alongside Zendaya, who will have more screen time in the second film compared to her measly 7-minute appearance in the first installment. Professional Elvis impersonator Austin Butler also joined the cast for the sequel, as well as Florence Pugh, who will portray Princess Irulan.
The rest of the cast includes Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Tim Blake Nelson, Charlotte Rampling and Javier Bardem. Stellan Skarsgard is also returning to fulfill the longtime prophecy that you must have a Skarsgard in your film for maximum creepiness.
Release Date
After some delays and pushback, the film is finally slated to hit theaters on March 1st, 2024.
Trailer
Check out the official trailer below.