Dune sequel set to release in 2023: 'This is only the beginning'

Dune fans can breathe a sigh of relief today. Director Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi epic won't go unfinished.

Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures have confirmed that Dune, Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's classic sci-fi novel, will get a second installment. Dune: Part Two is scheduled to hit theaters in October 2023.

"I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two," Villeneuve said, per The Hollywood Reporter. "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. This is only the beginning."

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Dune fans had been anxious about whether this second movie would go forward. After all, even though the new film doesn't adapt the entire book and is even referred to on screen as Dune: Part One, a second part was not officially confirmed prior to its release, raising the possibility that viewers would never see Villeneuve finish adapting the story. Villeneuve's intention had been to adapt the book in two parts, but the films were not shot back-to-back like Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings trilogy.

Luckily for fans, though, Dune had a solid debut at the box office, grossing $40.1 million domestically in its opening weekend. This was considered a fairly strong haul especially considering the movie could also be streamed on HBO Max. Unlike its predecessor, though, Dune: Part Two is reportedly set to be released exclusively in movie theaters.