There are novels that are significantly longer than Frank Herbert’s Dune, but it’s still a bit of a trek. And it’s complex — so dense, in fact, that the directors chose to split it into two films, the first of which only covers the first half-hour and a half. The problem is that they didn’t shoot both segments at the same time. Part 2 (which is expected to have much more Zendaya) is dependent on the success of the first. When/if it is greenlit, however, Denis Villeneuve, the film’s director, promises that he will be back in action in no time.
Villeneuve — whose credits include Prisoners, Sicario, Arrival, and Blade Runner 2049 — assured journalists in a recent interview (as reported by IGN) that if everything goes according to plan, he’ll start working on Part 2 “as soon as possible,” considering he’d have to resume work on a super-expensive blockbuster that requires reuniting a massive all-star cast.
“I would be very ready to go quite quickly,” he said. “To go quickly in a movie of that size, you still need to make sets, costumes, so we are talking about months. But if ever there’s enthusiasm and the movie is greenlit sooner than later, I will say that I will be ready to shoot in 2022 for sure.
“I am ready to go, and I will say that I would love to bring it to the screen as soon as possible,” he added. “The first film, I really had time to make sure that it was exactly the way I wanted it to be. I would love to have the same feeling when I make the second part. That would be the priority. Quality will be the priority.”
Villeneuve also described Part 1, which hits theaters and HBO Max on October 22, as an “appetizer” for Part 2, which he swears will be crazier than the first. He described the first film as him laying out Herbert’s incredibly complex world. “Once this is done, it becomes an insane playground. It will allow me to go berserk.”
The first Dune reviews have arrived, and they are truly diverse, with critics ranging from bored to captivated. In the past, Herbert’s series has had varied outcomes. After making his costly version in 1984, David Lynch’s career was nearly devastated; it’s since become a cult item, beloved for inserting weird, often unsettling visuals into a mainstream movie. The first three novels were covered in the 1980s miniseries, which performed better, but they lacked Sting.
