All the Dune: Part Two news that’s been revealed so far

All the Dune: Part Two news that’s been revealed so far

Time Stamp: August 24, 2023 7:08 PM

Dune: Part Two is approaching, bringing with it giant sandworms, Timothée Chalamet in a stillsuit, Zendaya getting more screentime this time out, and the return of desert power. The follow-up to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, set for release in 2024, already has a trailer that shows off some of its new cast members.

But while we know Dune: Part Two’s release date, its new character roster, and its cast, there’s still a lot we don’t know about the sequel, even though it’s an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s nearly 60-year-old sci-fi novel. To catch you up before the movie’s release, here’s everything we know so far about Dune: Part Two.

Does Dune 2 have a trailer yet?

Yes. The first trailer for Dune: Part Two was released on May 3, and it shows bits and pieces of the story of the second movie, with a few good looks at new characters like Princess Irulan and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.

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The film also got a second, much longer, trailer that was released on June 29. This second trailer might be the most impressive of the two-movie series so far. It sets up the second movie’s plot and gives us a few teases of Paul coming into his own as the leader of the Freman and even calling himself Muad’Dib. This trailer also shows off just how huge the sequel is, and just how many epic battles and sand worms we’re in for this time around.

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When is Dune 2 coming out?

Dune: Part Two will debut in movie theaters on March 15, 2024. Unlike the first Dune from 2021, the sequel won’t stream from day one on HBO Max (which will soon be known simply as Max). Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment originally scheduled the film to premiere in October 2023, eventually delaying it to November. Then the studios delayed it a second time, due to the ongoing strikes against the AMPTP by the Writers Guild and Screen Actors Guild.

While this several-months long delay will push the movie into 2024, the decision will allow the movie’s stars and its writers to be part of its promotional cycle — as long as the AMPTP is able to agree to terms that fit the WGA and SAG demands. Under the conditions of the strike, no members of either guild would have been able to promote the movie at all. Since the cast has so many stars in it, and with the status of negotiations still murky, it seems that executives at Warner Bros. decided it was safer and more worthwhile to delay the movie than risk a media blackout if the strikes weren’t resolved by November.

Will Denis Villeneuve and the original cast return for Dune 2?

As we can see in the first trailer for Dune: Part Two, many of the characters from the original are back, along with many new faces. Confirmed to return from Dune: Part One are Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica Atreides, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban Harkonnen, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Stephen McKinley Henderson as Thufir Hawat, and Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam.

Denis Villeneuve directed the sequel and co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts.

Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune 2, screaming in black and white with a shaved head
Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
Image: Warner Bros.

Who’s new in the cast of Dune 2?

Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (Midsommar) joins the cast as Princess Irulan Corrino, a Bene Gesserit who will have a relationship with Paul. Next up is another Oscar nominee, Austin Butler (Elvis), who plays Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the cruel and cunning nephew of Baron Harkonnen. Oscar-winner Christopher Walken will also join the cast as Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, the ruler of the universe at the time of the story, and the father of Princess Irulan. Léa Seydoux (Crimes of the Future) will play Lady Margot. Tim Blake Nelson is also in Dune: Part Two in an unannounced role.

What’s the story of Dune 2?

We have a whole post that gives away quite a few spoilers about the back half of Dune the novel, if you’re looking for a more detailed answer. If you want to save the surprises for the movie, the short version is that Dune: Part Two will cover the second half of Herbert’s book, as Paul continues his rise to power and seeks revenge against the Harkonnen family.

Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune 2, standing in a desert in a stillsuit
Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
Image: Warner Bros.

Will there be more Dune movies?

We don’t know for sure, but director Denis Villeneuve has expressed his excitement about continuing the story of Dune beyond Part Two, and possibly even adapting other books in the series to film in the future.

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