With 2021’s Dune: Part One, director Denis Villeneuve achieved the impossible by adapting Frank Herbert’s epic novel—long-considered unfilmable—into a riveting, beautiful, and bleak cinematic experience. The film pocketed USD$40 million domestically in its opening weekend and grossed over USD$223 million globally, prompting Warner Bros. to confirm a follow-up. With the March 1, 2024 release of Dune: Part II, Villeneuve completed his magic trick and gave the world a new sci-fi epic to obsess over. Here is everything you need to know about Dune: Part II.
‘Dune: Part II’ Trailer
In the lead-up to the release, Warner Bros. Pictures premiered three trailers for Dune: Part Two. While the first two were largely concerned with swelling interest, it was the third teaser that provided a true look into the unique world.
Opening with a subdued scene of Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and Zendaya’s Chani discussing the prophet’s ongoing nightmares, the Dune: Part Two trailer launched into an all-out war. Images of the pair fighting alongside the Fremen splashed across the screen, foreshadowing a brutal path of vengeance aimed squarely at the corrupt ruling class. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul was tasked with preventing a “terrible future” only he can foresee.
Importantly, the clip gave fans a first look at Austin Butler’s militant assassin Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. The bald-headed brute with a penchant for destruction was sent by Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), the Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, to put an end to the uprising. His appearance in the trailer was short-lived, but Villeneuve did an excellent job in building up the villain as an all-encompassing force of chaos and Butler was more than up for the job.
Aside from simply introducing fans to new characters, the third Dune: Part Two trailer also manages\d to continue the franchise’s incredible aesthetic legacy. If nothing else, the teaser was an excellent example of why director of photography Greig Fraser, production designer Patrice Vermette and visual effects supervisor Paul Lambert are the best in the business. The sprawling desert scenery was as much a starring character as the actors themselves and from the moment the first sandworm emerged from the grainy depths, the teaser took on new life.
‘Dune: Part II’ Cast
Joining Butler, Chalamet and Zendaya in the Dune sequel was an onslaught of screen talent. Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista and Charlotte Rampling reprised their roles from the 2021 epic, while Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Léa Seydoux made their long-awaited first appearances in the series. The full Dune: Part II cast includes:
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
- Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha
- Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
- Dave Bautista as Rabban
- Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV
- Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring
- Souheila Yacoub as Shishakli
- Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen
- Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam
- Javier Bardem as Stilgar
‘Dune: Part II’ Plot
The official synopsis from Warner Bros. and Legendary for Dune: Part II reads: “This follow-up film will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavours to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
In the lead-up to its release, Villeneuve billed Dune: Part Two as a “war epic action movie” and revealing that he made sure that the love story (between Chalamet’s Atreides and Zendaya’s Chani) would not overwhelm the whole thing. “I wanted to make a very human movie, very close to the characters, despite the scope of the film,” he said. “I kept saying to my crew, ‘The most important thing is that spark, that relationship between both of these characters.’ If we don’t capture that, if we don’t have that onscreen, there’s no movie. The epicentre of the story is this relationship.”
As Villeneuve pointed out, Dune: Part Two should not be seen as a sequel but rather a continuation of one larger story. Speaking with Vanity Fair earlier this year, the Academy Award recognised director lamented the ‘sequel’ tag.
“It’s important—it’s not a sequel, it’s a second part. There’s a difference,” Villeneuve said. “I wanted the movie to really open just where we left the characters. There’s no time jump. I wanted dramatic continuity with part one.”
‘Dune: Part II’ Release Date
The Dune: Part II release date did bounce around a few times before officially hitting cinemas. Warner Bros. and Legendary originally slated a November 3, 2023 premiere, however, the sequel was postponed by a month and then further delayed by four months due to the Hollywood strikes. Then, a few months later, a shock announcement came.
In November 2023, Warner Bros. and Legendary confirmed that Dune: Part Two would be released on March 1, 2024, a full two weeks earlier than planned. The news arrived courtesy of Deadline, which revealed that Denis Villeneuve‘s highly anticipated sci-fi sequel’s early release was strategically timed to avoid any cinematic clashes.
‘Dune’ on IMAX 70mm
Additionally, Dune: Part Two marked the latest film to strive for a significant run on IMAX 70mm. This follows the phenomenal success of Christopher Nolan’s ‘Oppenheimer,‘ which utilised the format earlier this year and offered audiences various choices, including IMAX and IMAX 70mm. Interestingly enough, the dichotomy between shooting on film and digital goes beyond what meets the eye.
Usually, Ultra HD, or 4K, boasts an image quality four times superior to 1080p HD, with a resolution of 4096×2160 pixels. In comparison, 70mm film is way sharper, delivering clearer images than its 35mm counterpart and featuring a broader aspect ratio than 4K, thus providing a more immersive viewing experience.
Dune: Part Two is the follow-up to the six-time Academy Award-winning film based on Frank Herbert’s iconic novel. The blockbuster was released in 2021 and grossed over USD$400 million at the box office worldwide. The latest instalment will officially released in theatres and IMAX on 1 March 2024, with international distribution starting on 28 February 2024.
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