'Dune Part 2' is arriving sooner than we thought

WORDS Ella Jane PHOTOGRAPHY Twitter/X PUBLISHED Mon, 20 Nov 2023 - 10:30 am

Ah yes, more Timothée Chalamet news to keep us afloat for the next while – rejoice! With news swirling about a Dune prequel series coming to television, we've almost forgotten that it's nearly time for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune sequel to premiere in cinemas this year. We even have a new trailer to consume, one brimming with sneak peaks about the epic battle on the planet Arrakis with villainous House Harkonnen, as well as Chani and Paul's blossoming love story. Take a look below.

What's the plot for Dune: Part 2?

For those who haven't already devoured Frank Herbert's original 1965 sci-fi novel, the plot will pick up where Villeneuve’s first film left off – the rumblings of an inter-planetary political war picking up between the Harkonnens, what's left of the House Atreides and the Imperial Empire. The original novel includes a bit of a time jump about halfway through, so we're interested to see if this plot point is taken up by the film.

We can expect to see a lot more of Zendaya's character, Chani, as her role becomes more central to the storyline, as well as the introduction of a host of other important players from the novel – Princess Irulan and her father, the Imperial Emperor, and of course, Feyd-Rautha.

Who will star in the Dune sequel?

It is expected that Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and Javier Bardem will all return to the cast for the second part of the film.

We're also excited to see Florence Pugh take on the role of Princess Irulan, the eldest daughter to Emperor (a role that will likely garner more screen time if a Dune: Part Three is greenlit). And of course, who hasn't been plagued with the imagery of Elvis lead Austin Butler as the bald and villainous evil nephew of the Baron, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen – a role infamously played by Sting in David Lynch's Dune. We'll also be seeing Léa Seydoux stepping into the role of Lady Margot (a Bene Gesserit), and Christopher Walken as Princess Irulan's father, the mysterious Imperial Empire Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV.

When will it be released?

An unfortunate side effect of the SAG and WGA strikes is that some of the most promising films have had their release dates rescheduled so that the actors involved will be able to promote them. Dune Part 2 is one such film. Originally intended to premiere in October 2023, the film's release date was pushed back to March 15, 2024. However, with the SAG and WGA strikes now over, the film's debut has been brought forward a couple of weeks to March 1, 2024.