‘Dune: Part 2’ Potentially in the Works
Dune: Part 1 hits theaters this October, but Director Denis Villeneuve already has plans for a Dune: Part 2. Villeneuve revealed that he only agreed to direct the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel for Warner Bros. and Legendary if they let him produce the content across two parts.
He opens up to Total Film in the same interview, elaborating on his progress of the future script. “I’m writing [Part Two] now, and I feel like I’m eight years old again,” clearly expressing his optimism. Though he chooses not to dub this film a sequel to Dune, clarifying that “there’s no such thing as Dune 1 and Dune 2. It’s Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two.“
Exclusive: “There’s no such thing as Dune 1 and Dune 2. It’s Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two,” Villeneuve tells Total Film https://t.co/H5Kj0Xv3n7
— Total Film (@totalfilm) August 17, 2021
The cinema industry is currently struggling to regain the success of its pre-pandemic performance. This remains the only thing preventing Villeneuve from solidifying his plans to release the second film. Streaming services are partially to blame for the lack of revenue the cinema industry has been receiving, and Villeneuve has openly condemned the decision to have Dune available on HBO Max, going as far as to claim that “Warner Bros. might just have killed the Dune franchise.”
Nevertheless, Villeneuve has big plans for the second film. In an interesting turn of events, it was revealed that Dune: Part 2 would primarily focus on Zendaya’s character Chani, just as the first film closely follows Timothée Chalamet’s character, Paul Atreides. This move comes as a surprise as Chalamet’s Atreides’ significance cannot be overlooked as the main protagonist of the upcoming film and Herbert’s source material. Yet it just goes to show how much thought Villeneuve has given the progression of this storyline, ready to streamline the strong female figure in her own right.
Denis Villeneuve and Zendaya filming DUNE in Jordan.
— Johnny Sobczak (@JohnnySobczak) August 17, 2021
(via @totalfilm) pic.twitter.com/oWzw6NHxfv
Albeit the heated discussion surrounding the franchise and what is to come, Dune: Part 2 has yet to receive the green light. Even still, the first film has garnered much support and remains a highly anticipated release of this year. Check out Warner Bros.’s second trailer for Dune from July 2021 below.
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