The amount of “buzz” that Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part II” is getting has reached fever pitch. Even before anyone had seen it, and there are still only very few who have so far, the presumption was that this would be a great film.
The narrative that’s being constructed, way ahead of the film’s March 1 release, is that 2021’s “Dune” was just a set up for the action-packed “Dune: Part Two.” So, now you have, even those who weren’t particularly taken by the first one, being very excited to catch this sequel.
Christopher Nolan has, apparently, seen “Dune: Part II” and he’s comparing it to the most popular sci-fi franchise in history.
If, to me, Dune was like “Star Wars”, then “Dune 2” is “The Empire Strikes Back,” which is my favorite ‘Star Wars’ film. I think it’s just a great expansion of all that was introduced in the first one
What I was really struck by is the sense of immersion in that world… It’s a film that has so many unique images - so many things you’ve never seen before, in this movie, time after time - and I was so struck by the detail of everything.
Nolan’s reaction comes off the heels of X user Empire City, who is supposed to have some past studio history, on the exhibition side, who called “Dune: Part II” a “masterpiece.”
Supposedly, it’s not just going to be an artistic improvement, ‘Dune 2’ is also set to likely double the original’s box-office intake. Early projections have the film opening at around $100 million. In 2021, “Dune” earned $41 million in its opening weekend, and that was despite a hybrid theatrical/HBO Max release.
Villeneuve keeps saying that “Dune: Part Two” should not be seen as a sequel “It’s important—it’s not a sequel, it’s a second part. There’s a difference,” Villeneuve told Vanity Fair earlier this year.
What else is different about ‘Part Two?’ Villeneuve says it’s more of an action movie, one that he finds to be “much better” than 2021’s “Dune.” If the first one built up the worlds and characters of Frank Herbert’s much beloved sci-fi novel, then this second one is supposed to be the massive delivery. What we’ll be getting is Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet), after his father’s death, with revenge on his mind and the intense battle brewing with the invading Harkonnen.
The cast for the 166-minute sequel is a stunning batch of talent — Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
Edward Berger seems to have settled on what comes next. His Lance Armstrong biopic, starring Austin Butler, is now holding casting calls, with production eyed for January.