Denis Villeneuve of Dune provides an update on the sequel
No one would blame Denis Villeneuve if he wanted to take a step back and savor Dunesis a resounding success. After all, his epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s beloved novel exceeded expectations and was a commercial and critical success. But if his latest update on the highly anticipated sequel is any indication, it doesn’t look like he’ll be taking a break anytime soon.
Because the second chapter now confirmed wasn’t guaranteed until Denis Villeneuve’s release of the sci-fi classic, there’s some uncertainty as to when we can expect to see it. Although no official release date has been set, the director has revealed the The Hollywood Reporter Awards Speech podcast that he is making progress to get it off the ground:
Right now I’m in what you call “soft prep”, which is we’re finishing the script. We will soon start the storyboards. [Dune] Part 2 is currently designed by [production designer] Patrick [Vermette]. It’s that beautiful part where it’s just daydreaming and staring at the ceiling and thinking about the movie, I love that. I mean, it’s like the moment when anything is possible, before we have the reality shock that’s coming.
Like many other films of the COVID era, long delays prevented fans to see the sci-fi epic, originally slated for 2020, through 2021. Despite the roadblock to its momentum, it managed to live up to the hype. The hype for the sequel has already begun, with Denis Villeneuve himself leading the charge by teasing fans with what to expect. So even though I didn’t think it was possible to be more excited afterwards, Villeneuve just proved me wrong.
His visionary approach to cinema in general, Dunes included, helped make him one of the most revered directors of his generation. Knowing that he’s taking the time to think carefully about this next installment, even though he himself has waited so long to do so, makes me more confident than ever that this could be a worthy follow-up.
Not that there was ever much doubt about it. We can’t know all the details about how he plans to adapt the second half of Herbert’s first novel in the saga on the screen, but we have some tips to continue. We know that several cast members will be back, such as Timothée Chalamet, who is excited to play Paul Atreides again. And after there was a lot of noise about Zendaya’s limited screen time in the first episode, Chani will play a bigger role.
While we wait Part 2, there is even more to the first Dunesstory to play, including her potential trip to the Oscars. Be sure to stay tuned for more updates on the sequel and keep an eye out for CinemaBlend’s 2022 Movie Release Schedule for more exciting news this year.