‘This is only the beginning’: Dune Part 2 is officially on the way

It’s the news every Timothée Chalamet fan and giant sandworm enthusiast has been waiting for: Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is officially getting a sequel, set to premiere in cinemas in October 2023.

The long-awaited announcement follows several hints about the follow-up to Dune — not least the title card for the first film, which reads Dune: Part One. Earlier this month, the final trailer for the first part of the sci-fi epic also ended with Zendaya’s character, Chani, suggestively stating: “This is only the beginning.”

Villeneuve himself has said that his original intention was to shoot both parts of Dune at the same time, explaining: “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.”

Evidently, the film has been met with enough excitement from audiences (despite its controversial release, which saw it hit HBO Max and cinemas simultaneously), and overperformed financially in its opening weekend, according to Deadline. The production company Legendary officially announced part two earlier today (October 26), echoing Chani in a tweet that reads: “This is only the beginning... Thank you to those who have experienced Dune so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We’re excited to continue the journey!”

“Denis Villeneuve has crafted a film that is both visually extraordinary and emotionally transporting, as evidenced by its global success both critically and at the box office,” adds Toby Emmerich, chairman of Warner Bros Picture Group. “We are thrilled to continue on this journey with Denis and his cast and crew, and our partners at Legendary, and can’t wait to bring the next chapter of this epic tale to theaters in October 2023.”

What we can expect from the sequel is largely a continuation of the story told in Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel of the same name, which the first part leaves unfinished. Chalamet (who plays protagonist Paul Atreides) has previously hinted at the “huge role” Zendaya’s character is likely to play, as a member of Arrakis’ native population, the Fremen.

Cast members including Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and Javier Bardem are also expected to reprise their roles from the first film.

Now there’s just one question remaining: will we be getting a full Dune trilogy? According to Villeneuve, he “always saw” that the sci-fi epic could work as a three-part series of films, with the third based on Herbert’s Dune Messiah, but presumably we’ll get nothing concrete until Dune: Part Two hits cinema screens in 2023.