'Dune: Part Two' film gets go-ahead from Warner Bros

Dennis Villeneuve said that he envisaged a second film but Warner Bros had not committed to the project before Tuesday

LOS ANGELES,:

Film studio Warner Bros said on Tuesday (October 26) it will release a second Dune film in October 2023.

The first part of the sci-fi epic, directed by Denis Villeneuve and one of the most eagerly anticipated films of 2021, opened in cinemas in North America last week and earned a healthy US$41 million (S$55 million) on its opening weekend.

The film, which cost an estimated US$165 million to produce, also did well outside of the US and has taken in almost US$225 globally at the box office.

Villeneuve has always said that he envisaged a second film but Warner Bros had not committed to the project before Tuesday.

Warner Bros said that Dune: Part Two will be released exclusively in cinemas. The first film was released simultaneously in theatres and on streaming service HBO Max.

Villeneuve has been adamant that the two and a half-hour film, which has been praised for its stunning visuals, should be seen on the big screen rather than at home.

Dune featured a star-studded cast, including Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and Jason Momoa.

Casting for the second part has not been announced.

The film was the latest attempt to turn Frank Herbert’s 1955 400 page science fiction novel of the same name into a hit on the silver screen.

Set in a future where noble families rule planetary fiefs, the story follows Paul Atreides (Chalamet), whose father takes on the stewardship of planet Arrakis, known as Dune to its native Fremen people and contested for its unique spice commodity found in its inhospitable desert.

Villeneuve’s Dune follows Alejandro Jodorowsky’s unsuccessful attempt in the mid-1970s and David Lynch’s critically-panned 1984 version.