Dune: Part Two shifts its release date—again
Denis Villeneuve's follow-up to his 2021 fantasy epic arrives in theaters November 2023
After Dune: Part Two’s release date was previously announced to be pushed back a month, Denis Villeneuve’s follow-up to the 2021 fantasy epic is now being moved back up a couple of weeks. The film is now expected in theaters on November 3, 2023, and will no longer be competing against fellow Warner Bros. release The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes, as reported by Variety.
Covering the first half of Frank Herbert’s notoriously sprawling novel, Dune was released in October 2021 to significant acclaim and a haul of over $400 million at the box office despite being simultaneously available on HBO Max. The sequel will continue Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) journey towards embracing his fate as the Lisan al-Gaib, the prophesied savior of the desert planet Arrakis, which produces a valuable resource known as spice.
Dune concluded with Paul and Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) arriving at the Fremen sietch in the middle of the desert after surviving House Harkonnen and the imperial Sardaukar forces’ attack on their home Arrakeen. The next part of the story will feature bigger roles for Stilgar and Chani, the previously-introduced Arrakis natives played by Javier Bardem and Zendaya. Also returning are Stellan Skarsgård as the villainous Baron Harkonnen, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, and Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen. Charlotte Rampling’s Reverend Mother Mohiam will also be seen again, as Jessica’s heritage and role with the Bene Gesserit become a more prominent part of the plot.
If you’ve been following anything about the Don’t Worry Darling drama, you may know that Dune: Part Two is currently in production in Budapest, which pushed Florence Pugh into a late arrival at the Venice Film Festival. Pugh will be introduced as Princess Irulan, the daughter of Christopher Walken’s Emperor Shaddam IV. Other new cast members include Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, a House Harkonnen heir and Paul’s rival.