Marvel Studios played a little release date shuffle earlier today, pushing many of their upcoming films back by months. Warner Bros. was quick to take advantage of the new real estate and announced today that they are bumping up the release of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two to November 3, 2023, the date previously held by Blade.
Production on the Dune sequel kicked off earlier this summer with a few new additions to the cast, including Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV. Of course, Timothée Chalamet will be returning as Paul Atreides, alongside Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Beast Rabban Harkonnen, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam, and Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat.
Dune: Part Two “will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.” I’m thrilled that the sequel is actually happening, as I wasn’t convinced that the first film would perform well enough for Warner Bros. to move forward. But not only is Dune: Part Two on the way, there’s also a Dune TV series in development for HBO Max that’s set to star Emily Watson and Shirley Henderson. Dune: The Sisterhood will be “told through the eyes of a mysterious order of women known as the Bene Gesserit. Given extraordinary abilities by their mastery of the body and the mind, the Bene Gesserit expertly weaves through the feudal politics and intrigue of The Imperium, pursuing plans of their own that will ultimately lead them to the mysterious planet Arrakis, known to its inhabitants as Dune.” With the release of Dune: Part Two a little closer, I can’t wait to see how Denis Villeneuve concludes the tale.