Dune: Part Two Officially Announced for 2023 Release With Denis Villeneuve Returning To Direct

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is getting a sequel as Legendary Pictures has officially greenlit a sequel, due out in 2023. Dune: Part Two will see Villeneuve return to direct the film with the cast of the first film returning to play their respective roles.

“I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two,” Villeneuve said in a statement to THR. “It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream. This is only the beginning.”

This is only the beginning…

Thank you to those who have experienced @dunemovie so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We’re excited to continue the journey! pic.twitter.com/mZj68Hnm0A

— Legendary (@Legendary) October 26, 2021

Dune was released earlier in October in multiple international markets, with it releasing on October 22 in India and the US to smash box office success. As of the time of writing, Dune: Part One has made $223 million (source) against a production budget of $165 million, 80% of which was funded by Legendary with the rest by Warner Bros. as per The Hollywood Reporter. Its box office performance is surprising considering the film released on HBO Max a day early, being available to be streamed (and pirated) before releasing in cinemas.

“Denis Villeneuve has crafted a film that is both visually extraordinary and emotionally transporting, as evidenced by its global success both critically and at the box office,” said Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros. Pictures Group. “We are thrilled to continue on this journey with Denis and his cast and crew, and our partners at Legendary, and can’t wait to bring the next chapter of this epic tale to theaters in October 2023.”

Dune has received critical acclaim with one of the only criticisms being that it clearly doesn’t end on a satisfying narrative note, which shouldn’t be a surprise given that the film was always planned to be the first in an ongoing franchise. IGN India’s review of the film called it an epic mesh of sci-fi and politics, with IGN US’ Scott Collura giving it a 7/10, calling it a “a gorgeous but imperfect epic.”

Dune: Part One releases in theatres on October 29, 2021, in Maharashtra. The film is already playing in theatres across the country, along with being available on HBO Max in supported regions.

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