There was very little doubt it would happen, but it’s now official: Dune: Part Two is a go.
Warner Bros. and Legendary announced on Tuesday that Dune: Part Two has been officially greenlit. In addition, director Denis Villeneuve has agreed to return. It has been reported that was contingent on the second film receiving a theatrical-only debut, and that Warner Bros. and Legendary agreed to the contract point.
The second part was always expected as Part One ends at about the halfway point in the book. For undisclosed reasons it was planned to release the first film and see how it would perform before officially greenlighting the second film. With a fairly positive set of reviews, and decent box office returns, the studio is now prepared to move forward with the film.
The most surprising part, however, is that the film will not begin filming until some time in 2022, and a 2023 release date has been announced. It may be a tight production schedule, but with so much of the work already finished when it comes to design, costumes, CGI models, and so on, it should work out fairly well.
Dune: Part Two is due to hit theaters on October 20th, 2023.
