If you have watched the new Dune movie, then you’re likely already wondering how long you’ll have to wait until Dune Part 2 comes out. The movie was phenomenal (see our review here), but it will likely be so long until the next movie comes out that you’ll need to watch the one all over again first. The good news, however, is that the director doesn’t just want a second movie — he wants a trilogy.
The Director Wants a New Movie, But Production Hasn’t Started Yet
Denis Villeneuve has confirmed that he intends to adapt the rest of the novel into Dune Part 2, Den of Geek reported. His new Dune movie has a budget of approximately $165 million, Screenrant reported. But unfortunately, the second movie hasn’t even been given the green light yet. No publication has been able to explain exactly why, except to hypothesize that this might be because the movie was so expensive and Warner Bros. is waiting to see if it makes a profit or not. The movie is releasing on HBO Max too, which might cut into the profits somewhat. So it could be at least a few weeks before we know if the money is good enough to warrant a second movie.
The good news is that Villeneuve told Total Film (via GamesRadar) that the movie would basically have to be a total failure in order for the second movie to not be given the go-ahead.
He said:
They feel that it would need a really bad outcome at the box office to not have a Dune: Part Two, because they love the movie. They are proud of the movie, so they want the movie to move forward. And they still did half of it. So, you know, I’m very optimistic
Villeneuve doesn’t have everything on hold until he gets the green light, however. Screenrant reported that he was already working on the script for Part 2 even before Part 1 released.
He told CBC Radio Canada (via The Playlist) that Feyd-Rathua Harkonnen will be in the second movie. He said: “The book is so rich. There are so many fantastic details about the different cultures. In order to preserve and have the time to bring that to the screen, we had to make important choices.”
He Ultimately Wants a Trilogy
Villeneuve also confirmed that he would like to move on from the second movie and make a trilogy that includes the second book in the series, Dune Messiah, Den of Geek reported. He told CBC Radio Canada (via The Playlist) that the third movie would be an “extraordinary film.” He might even go further than that, but he’s not sure.
He said:
There is ‘Dune’s second book, ‘The Messiah of Dune,’ which could make an extraordinary film. I always saw that there could be a trilogy; after that, we’ll see. It’s years of work; I can’t think of going further than that.
So it looks like the chances are really good that we’ll get a second Dune, and if that one does well, we might even get a third.
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