Dune: Part Two is an upcoming 2024 American epic science fiction film directed by Denis Villeneuve, who co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts. The sequel to Dune (2021), it is the second of a two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert, and follows Paul Atreides as he unites with the Fremen people of the desert planet Arrakis to win the war against House Harkonnen. Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem reprise their roles from the first film, with Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux joining the ensemble cast.
Development began after Legendary Entertainment acquired film and television rights for Dune in 2016. Villeneuve signed on as director for the film in 2017, with the intention of making a two-part adaptation of the novel due to its complexity. Production contracts were only secured for a first film, with the second film having to be green-lit based on the first's success. Though Villeneuve was concerned about the sequel's certainty after the first film had a simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max release, Warner Bros. Pictures assured him the sequel would happen if it performed well on HBO Max. After the critical and commercial success of the first film, Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment green-lit the film in October 2021. New cast members including Pugh, Butler, Walken, Seydoux, and Souheila Yacoub were announced in 2022, followed by Tim Blake Nelson a year later. Principal photography took place in Budapest, Italy, and Abu Dhabi between July and December 2022.
Dune: Part Two is set to be released on March 15, 2024, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
Premise
The film will explore the continuing journey of Paul Atreides, who is united with Chani and the Fremen. As he seeks revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future that only he can predict.
Cast
Timothée Chalamet as Duke Paul Atreides, the exiled ruler of House Atreides, who is called "Muad'Dib" by the Fremen Zendaya as Chani, a young Fremen warrior and Paul's love interest Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Paul's Bene Gesserit mother and concubine to Paul's late father and predecessor, Leto Atreides Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, the former weapons master of House Atreides and Paul's mentor Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Baron Harkonnen's youngest nephew and planned successor of House Harkonnen. Director Denis Villeneuve described him as "A cross between a psychopathic killer, an Olympic sword master, a snake and Mick Jagger. He has tremendous sex appeal, charisma and madness". Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, the Emperor's daughter Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, the brutish nephew of Baron Harkonnen and older brother of Feyd-Rautha Christopher Walken as Shaddam IV, the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe and head of House Corrino Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, a Mentat loyal to House Atreides who is forced to serve House Harkonnen. Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, a Bene Gesserit and close friend of the Emperor Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, head of House Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha's uncle, sworn enemy to Atreides and former steward of Arrakis Charlotte Rampling as Gaius Helen Mohiam, a Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother and the Emperor's Truthsayer Javier Bardem as Stilgar, leader of the Fremen tribe at Sietch Tabr
Additionally, Souheila Yacoub plays Shishakli, a Fremen warrior, while Tim Blake Nelson has been cast in an undisclosed role.
Production
Development
In March 2018, Denis Villeneuve stated that his goal was to adapt the novel into a two-part film series. Villeneuve ultimately secured a two-film deal with Warner Bros. Pictures, in the same style as the two-part adaption of Stephen King's It in 2017 and 2019. He stated that "I would not agree to make this adaptation of the book with one single movie" as Dune was "too complex" with "power in details" that a single film would fail to capture. In January 2019, Joe Walker was confirmed to be serving as the film's editor. Other crew included Brad Riker as supervising art director, Patrice Vermette as production designer, Paul Lambert as visual effects supervisor, Gerd Nefzer as special effects supervisor, and Thomas Struthers as stunt coordinator.