Dune Part 2 is officially on its way – though it might not start filming for a while yet.
When asked by The Hollywood Reporter if Dune Part 2 could start shooting in spring 2022, director Denis Villeneuve said: "No, that's too soon. We still have a lot of work to do. It'd probably be more toward fall, and even that would be fast."
As for how the director feels about Part 2 going ahead with a 2023 release date, Villeneuve shared: "It's fantastic news, but it's also kind of a burden. The good news is that a lot of the work has been done already regarding design, casting, locations and writing. So we're not starting from scratch.
"It's not a long period of time, but I will try to face that challenge because it's important for me that the audience sees Part 2 as soon as possible. It's not a sequel where it's another episode or another story with the same characters. It actually has direct continuity to the first movie. It's the second part of the big, huge movie that I'm trying to do. So, the sooner the better."
Dune adapted the first half of Frank Herbert's novel of the same name, which means Part 2 should take us up to the end of the book. Zendaya's Chani will have a lot more prominence this time around, joined again by Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides.
"The second movie, I think, will be an opportunity to have much more fun," Villeneuve recently told Screen Rant of the sequel. "In a way, it will be more cinematic. That's what I can say."
Dune Part 2 arrives October 20, 2023. Until then, check out our guide to all the next few months' biggest movie release dates.
