‘Dune’ fans rejoice. It seems as though the rumors of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” being delayed weren’t so credible.
I’m hearing that Warner Bros and Legendary are most likely going to stick with their November 4 release date. I’ve spoken to two credible sources in the past week who believe a 2023 release is most likely a go.
It wouldn’t make any sense for the film, which already has its ardent fanbase, to go the way of 2024. Yes, the cast not promoting the film, due to the actors strike, is an issue, but it’s not like the film wouldn’t still be making a boatload of money without their participation.
There was also a recent IMAX earnings call in late July where, IMAX Chief Executive Officer, Richard Gelfond stated that ‘Dune 2’ was "highly unlikely to move" from its November 3 release date.
Gelfond confirmed that the much-anticipated sequel has already “5-6 weeks” worth of IMAX screens waiting for it. That’s a lot of commitment on the part of IMAX and who knows if a new release date would result in less screens.
As it stands, Denis Villeneuve is still editing his film, which is said to currently have a rough cut of around 3 hours. There had been a rumor that he’d wait it out for a Cannes 2024 premiere, but I now don’t believe that’s going to happen.
The ‘Dune 2’ cast includes the likes of Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin.
While James L. Brooks teased last year that "we'll soon be seeing" Jack Nicholson, 89, act again, and that he was "reading scripts," that idea has now been shut down by his close friend Michael Douglas, 82.