It took some time but it is finally happening! Warner Bros. has officially greenlit Dune: Part 2. In addition to that, the second film could push through with Denis Villeneuve's plan of making Chani the new protagonist.
The announcement comes from the official Legendary Pictures Twitter account, which shared the teaser image for Dune: Part 2. Check it out below.
Villeneuve also issued a statement after the announcement was made.
"I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two," he said in the statement. "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."
It's an awesome confirmation considering that fans are hoping to see more of the Dune Universe after what happened in the first movie. In addition to that, Villeneuve has been very confident that the studios will greenlight the second film even before Dune's opening weekend box office earnings were announced.
We already know that Dune did very well during its domestic opening weekend and is currently the best opener for Warner Bros. during the pandemic era. Its domestic earnings have brought the film's worldwide box office haul to over $200 million.
Dune being a box office hit is made even more impressive considering that it had to deal with a simultaneous release on HBO Max. Nevertheless, fans who heeded Villeneuve's advice and decided to watch it in the cinema.
But what can we expect in Dune: Part Two? Villeneuve had previously shared his plans for the sequel. Interestingly, the Blade Runner 2049 intends to make Zendaya's character Chani the protagonist of the second film. This means that the story will be told from Chani's point of view.
It's an interesting change from Frank Herbert's books considering that it's always about Paul Atreides. Needless to say, we can't wait for what Villeneuve will do with the second film.
Dune: Part One is currently screening in theaters and on HBO Max. Dune: Part Two is already scheduled for release in October 2023.
Related: Dune Crosses $200M Worldwide Box Office Haul With $40M Opening Weekend