With Dune: Part Two set to hit US theaters in October 2023, director Denis Villeneuve has confirmed to Collider that the sci-fi sequel is in "full prep," with a "mostly finished" screenplay. It's hardly a surprise that most of the groundwork is already done with a less than two-year production window to come, but it's a speedy process nevertheless, given Part Two was only green-lit on the tail end of last year off the back of the great success of Dune.
Villeneuve says the pressure on making the sequel is "similar" to that of the first — this too hardly comes as a surprise, given the weight of expectation that has built behind the franchise. The difference now: not only is there a horde of literary Dune fans to satiate, but there are also a bunch of new folks to please, having come into the series on the strength of stars like Oscar Isaac and Timothée Chalamet. Villeneuve said:
"The first one, it was more to make sure that we will land in the world and that the movie will be accepted. Now it's to make sure that we can close that first book, so it's like there's some premises that are in the first movie that I need to ignore. So yeah, I think I would say there's more pressure with the second one in some ways."
On the status of the screenplay for Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve confirmed that while a script is "in [his] hands," it'll keep being a work in progress "until final cut," as you'd usually expect from a major tent pole. He said:
"The screenplay is finished mostly, but it's always a work in progress. It'll be a work in progress until final cut, but I will say it's solidified. I have a script in my hands. We are in prep right now."
Even in the heat of the current Oscars season—where Dune competes for a swathe of technical categories, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Original Score, and of course, Best Picture—Villeneuve confirmed that the sequel is now in prep. "My crew, we are in full prep for the movie," the 54-year-old said. "And with the awards seasons, it's tricky. My brain is like, it's like two parts of my brain that don't connect together ... And I'm not complaining."
One widely lauded aspect of Dune was its use of IMAX to enhance the look and scale of the production, from the sweeping sands of Arrakis through to the brutal topography of Giedi Prime. Villeneuve confirmed that plans include use of IMAX for the sequel, saying: "Definitely. [Cinematographer] Greig Fraser and I, we fell in love with this format, and definitely there be—even probably more—IMAX footage in this movie. Definitely."
Expect a lot more sweeping landscape shots from Dune: Part Two, then—and make sure you see it on an IMAX screen once that October 2023 release date rolls around.
Dune: Part Two is scheduled for release in US theaters on October 20, 2023. The cast of the original Dune is expected to return — including the likes of Chalamet, Zendaya, and Stellan Skårsgaard—with new inclusions being considered as we speak like Florence Pugh and Austin Butler. Look for more from Steve's exclusive interview with Villeneuve soon.