“Dune” fans have another reason to cheer this week.
In addition to the 1965 novel’s new movie adaptation celebrating its long-awaited release in theaters and streaming on HBO Max, fans of the epic sci-fi classic received confirmation that a second film has already been approved by studio officials.
On Oct. 26, just a few days after “Dune” premiered, Legendary Studios shared a post on its Twitter account telling fans that the new movie will not stand alone.
“This is only the beginning,” the post read, echoing the last words heard in the film. “Thank you to those who have experienced [“Dune”] so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We’re excited to continue the journey!”
This is only the beginning…
Thank you to those who have experienced @dunemovie so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We're excited to continue the journey! pic.twitter.com/mZj68Hnm0A
— Legendary (@Legendary) October 26, 2021
In addition to the social media announcement, Legendary released a press statement to media outlets worldwide providing more details about the next film.
“Legendary is pleased to officially move forward with ‘Dune: Part Two’ … once again based on the amazing books written by Frank Herbert,” Legendary said in the statement, which was first shared by The Hollywood Reporter. “We would not have gotten to this point without the extraordinary vision of [director] Denis [Villeneuve] and the amazing work of his talented crew, the writers, our stellar cast, our partners at Warner Bros. and of course the fans! Here’s to more Dune.”
The second movie will aim to be released on Oct. 20, 2023, according to Legendary.
Director Denis Villeneuve also released a statement about the upcoming sequel.
“I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with ‘Dune: Part Two,’ ” Villeneuve wrote. “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.”
Villeneuve’s adaptation stars Timothée Chamalet, Jason Momoa and Zendaya, among many others in an all-star cast. It opened last weekend and earned $41 million across the country according to figures shared to the media by Warner Bros. and HBO Max. Fans who watched the first installment were perhaps surprised to see the title written as “Dune: Part One” on the screen, especially because a sequel hadn’t yet been approved.
Including receipts from theaters worldwide, “Dune” has earned more than $223 million at the box office so far according to The Hollywood Reporter.
While casting for “Dune: Part Two” has not been confirmed, Variety reported that “many members of the ensemble, such as Chalamet, have said they’re game to come back for more.”
“Dune” can currently be seen in theaters and streamed on HBO Max until Nov. 21.
This story originally appeared on Simplemost. Checkout Simplemost for additional stories.
