Dune Sequel Gets Green Light

A sequel Denis Villeneuve's Dune has been confirmed just days after the sci-fi epic hit the big screen. Dune had healthy box office numbers over the weekend despite a hybrid release, and Warner Bros announced Tuesday that the sequel will have an all-theatrical release, reports Deadline. The studio and producer Legendary Entertainment say it will be out on Oct. 20, 2023. "This is only the beginning," Legendary tweeted. "We're excited to continue the journey!" The movie took in $41 million in its opening weekend in the US, bringing the global total to more than $220 million. Warner Bros execs estimate that the box office figures in the US would be around 20% higher if it hadn't also been available for streaming.

"I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two," Villeneuve said Tuesday, per Gizmodo. "It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary, and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream." Last month, the director said he would be "fairly ready to go quite quickly now" on a sequel. Variety notes that Villeneuve has long insisted that his Dune adaptation would have two parts—and the opening sequence of the movie says Dune: Part 1. (More Warner Bros. stories.)