No one would blame Denis Villeneuve if he wanted to take a step back and relish in Dune’s momentous success. After all, his epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel exceeded expectations and was a commercial and critical success. But if his most recent update on the highly anticipated sequel is any indication, it doesn’t look like he’ll be taking a break any time soon.
Since the now-confirmed second chapter wasn’t guaranteed before Denis Villeneuve’s take on the sci-fi classic was released, there’s some uncertainty as to when we can expect to see it. While there’s no official release date set, the director did reveal on The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast that he’s making progress on getting it off the ground:
Right now, I’m in what you call ‘soft prep,’ meaning that we are finishing the screenplay. We’ll start storyboards soon. [Dune] Part 2 is being designed right now by [production designer] Patrice [Vermette]. It’s that beautiful part where it’s just dreaming, looking at the ceiling and thinking about the movie, I love it. I mean, it’s like the moment where everything is possible, before we have the shock of reality that will come.
Like many other films of the COVID era, long delays prevented fans from seeing the sci-fi epic, originally slated for 2020, until 2021. Despite the roadblock to its momentum, it managed to live up to the hype. The hype for the sequel has already started, with Denis Villeneuve himself leading the charge by teasing fans with what to expect. So though I didn’t think it was possible to be more excited about the sequel, Villeneuve just proved me wrong.
His visionary approach to filmmaking in general, Dune included, has helped make him one of the most revered directors of his generation. Knowing that he is taking the time to carefully think through this next installment, even though he himself has been waiting so long to make it, makes me more confident than ever that it could be a worthy follow-up.
Not that there was ever much doubt about that. We can’t know all the details about how he intends to adapt the second half of Herbert’s first novel in the saga to the screen, but we do have some hints to go on. We know several members of the cast will be returning, like Timothée Chalamet, who is excited to be playing Paul Atreides again. And after there was much ado about Zendaya’s limited screen time in the first installment, Chani will play a more significant role.
As we wait for Part 2, there’s still more to the first Dune’s story to play out, including its potential Oscar journey. Be sure to stay tuned for more updates about the sequel, and keep an eye on CinemaBlend’s 2022 film release schedule for more exciting news this year.