Even though Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was a critical hit, a lot of fans were still holding their breath on whether a sequel would be approved by the studio. The great news is, Legendary has officially announced that they will be pushing forward with a sequel.
Here’s their post on Twitter:
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
Variety also reports that the sequel will be set to come out on Oct. 20, 2023.
Even though Dune was a critical hit, Villeneuve has earned the reputation of helming critical darlings that don’t do commercially well on the box office. Sure we were hearing ravings about Dune, but it’s not until the numbers come in that the studios decide if a sequel is financially viable.
In an old interview at the Toronto Film Festival, Villeneuve had said about the two-parter:
“I wanted at the beginning to do the two parts simultaneously. For several reasons, it didn’t happen, and I agreed to the challenge of making part one and then wait to see if the movie rings enough enthusiasm… As I was doing the first part, I really put all my passion into it, in case it would be the only one. But I’m optimistic.”
With the Dune sequel officially announced, fans can rest easy that Villeneuve will be able to finish the story he was trying to tell. Admittedly, a lot of people admit that the first part is ‘not for everyone’, but hopefully Part Two will have everyone onboard with the story of House Atreides and the planet Arrakis.
Dune is now available in theaters and on HBO Max.
