'Dune: Part Two' Is Officially in Production

By Michael Hein

Dune: Part Two is officially in production. The movie's official social media accounts announced the news on Monday, July 18, sharing a photo of the first clapperboard for confirmation. This puts the movie on track to meet its premiere date on Nov. 17, 2023.

Dune was one of the most highly-anticipated movies of the last few years, especially when the excitement was interrupted and spread out by the COVID-19 pandemic. It finally premiered in October of 2021, and one of the biggest surprises it brought to fans was its title card which read Dune: Part One. Director and co-writer Denis Villeneuve had already revealed that the movie would split Frank Herbert's original novel into two parts, so this upcoming sequel will complete the circuit as far as many fans are concerned.

Dune is based on Herbert's 1965 novel, which is considered a lynchpin of the sci-fi genre. It is set thousands of years ahead in a fictional future where mankind has colonized much of the galaxy and has won a war against artificial intelligence. In the process, civilization has slid back into a form of feudalism, but that power structure secretly relies on a substance called Spice which can only be harvested on the planet Arrakis – also known as Dune.

Dune stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Beast Rabban Harkonnen and David Dastmalchian as Piter De Vries. Those stars will return, and other returning stars will have much bigger roles this time around, including Zendaya as the Fremen Chani and Javier Bardem as the Fremen Stilgar. However, it's safe to assume that stars like Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin and Jason Momoa won't be returning – or if they do, it will be in flashbacks.

Dune: Part Two will also introduce three new major characters that were left out of the first installment to simplify the story. Christopher Walken will play Emperor Shaddam IV, and Florence Pugh will play his daughter, Princess Irulan. Austin Butler will play Feyd-Rautha, the heir to House Harkonnen and a fierce rival for Paul in the book.

Dune is streaming now on HBO Max, while Dune: Part Two is expected to premiere only in theaters on Friday, Nov. 17 2023. Herbert's six original Dune novels are available now in print, digital and audiobook formats.

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