Dune: Part Two Release Date, Cast, Trailer, Plot And More Details

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Frank Herbert's "Dune" is perhaps the most acclaimed sci-fi novel of all time, but thanks to its vast worldbuilding, political plotlines, and multitude of characters, many believed it was an unfilmable book. David Lynch gave it a shot in 1984, and ... well ... it's no "Mulholland Drive." The novel inspired two TV adaptations in the 2000s, but neither really captured the rich universe that Herbert had created. As a result, "Dune" fans lost hope in ever seeing Arrakis faithfully depicted on-screen.

Then, Denis Villeneuve came along.

In 2021, the French-Canadian filmmaker left us all picking our jaws off the floor with his adaptation of Herbert's beloved novel. This was everything we ever wanted from a "Dune" movie, and best of all, it was the first installment in a two-part series. Just like a hungry sandworm barreling through the desert floor, "Dune: Part Two" is on the way, bringing along plenty of Harkonnen soldiers, Bene Gesserit witches, and a blue-eyed Paul Atreides.

If you're wondering when you can see the second film or who will be populating its beautiful yet barren landscapes, never fear (it's the mind-killer) — we've got you covered. Read on for everything you need to know about "Dune: Part Two."

The first "Dune" ends with our heroes in serious trouble. Duke Leto Atreides and Duncan Idaho are dead, and the combined forces of the Emperor and House Harkonnen have driven Paul Atreides and Lady Jessica into hiding. Haunted by visions of messianic future and a mysterious woman, Paul eventually encounters the Fremen — the desert-dwelling people of Arrakis — and wins protection for himself and his mother after a vicious duel to the death. It's also here that meets the literal woman of his dreams, Chani, and the film ends with Paul joining the Fremen and plotting his next move.

"Dune: Part Two" will pick up immediately after the first film ended, with director Denis Villeneuve telling Vanity Fair, "It's not a sequel, it's a second part. There's a difference. ... There's no time jump. I wanted dramatic continuity with 'Part One.'" In other words, the second movie is going to hit the sand running, and it has quite a few plot threads to tie up. For example, we know that Paul will have to further prove himself to the Fremen. If he's to become one of them, he'll have to ride one of the monstrous sandworms we saw in the first film. Why? Because, as Villeneuve explained to Vanity Fair, "It's a rite of passage. It's the way you become an adult in the Fremen world. That is a very important part of their culture, and they respect the worms as half-gods, so they have a religious relationship with the worm."

The first "Dune" featured an A-list cast, and many of those big names are coming back for the sequel. Timothée Chalamet is returning to play Paul Atreides, the young hero fighting for the very soul of Arrakis. He'll be joined here by Zendaya as Chani, the fierce Fremen warrior who's fighting for her people while falling in love with Paul. 

Chani only briefly appeared in the first movie, but she'll be a much larger character here as her connection to Paul is key to the plot. As director Denis Villeneuve explained to Vanity Fair, "The epicenter of the story is this relationship." Of course, Zendaya isn't the only original actor returning to the tale. We'll also see Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Javier Bardem as Freemen leader Stilgar, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban, Stephen McKinely Henderson as Thufir Hawat, and Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam.

Of course, the cast of "Dune: Part Two" will also feature a ton of new faces, including some of the most exciting names working in Hollywood today. The legendary Christopher Walken will portray Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, and his daughter, the savvy politician Princess Irulan, will be played by the one and only Florence Pugh. We'll also meet a brand new bad guy, the sadistic swordsman Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, played by "Elvis" Oscar nominee Austin Butler. You can also expect to see Léa Seydoux as Bene Gesserit member Margot Fenring and Souheila Yacoub as Fremen fighter Shishakli, as well as Anya Taylor-Joy and Tim Blake Nelson as unknown characters.

When your first film was a big success, you don't want to screw around too much with the recipe. That's why the screenplay for "Dune: Part Two" has been co-written by Denis Villeneuve and Jon Spaihts, the duo who penned the first film and earned an Oscar nomination for their efforts (along with Eric Roth).

In addition to telling the story of the Fremen and House Atreides, Spaihts has spent quite a bit of time in worlds of sci-fi and fantasy. He wrote the 2011 alien invasion flick "The Darkest Hour," and he also penned the script for "Prometheus," the Ridley Scott "Alien" prequel that has both its fair share of supporters and detractors. And while he did write the widely reviled "Passengers," he also co-wrote one of the very best movies in the MCU — 2016's "Doctor Strange."

Interestingly, Spaihts was originally going to be the showrunner on a "Dune" TV show — "Dune: The Sisterhood" — but he eventually left the series to focus on writing the sequel with Villeneuve. However, there is a third screenwriter in the mix, one who was brought in to, um, "spice" things up a bit. Speaking with the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Craig Mazin admitted he'd been brought in to take a pass at the script, explaining that he's being credited as "additional literary material" for his work. For those who don't recognize Mazin's name, you definitely know the TV shows he's created for HBO, as he's the showrunner for both "Chernobyl" and "The Last of Us."

If you like practical effects and real-world locations, then you're going to love "Dune: Part Two." At 2023's CinemaCon, Timothée Chalamet spoke about the look of the film, assuring everyone that a sequence involving Paul Atreides riding a massive sandworm was actually done with real effects. We absolutely cannot wait to see what a practical sandworm looks like, and honestly, we're now just as excited to watch the behind-the-scenes footage as we are the movie.

As for the setting, the film was shot on location in Jordan and Abu Dhabi, which will help the world of Arrakis feel like an actual planet, as opposed to the green screens of something like, say, "Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania." However, this posed problems for the filmmakers, as they only had a brief amount of time during the evening to capture scenes in just the right kind of light.

"There's kind of, like, a ticking timer," Zendaya told Vanity Fair. "You kind of feel like, 'Okay, we got here, but we have maybe an hour to get this." As a result, they had to do the same scene across multiple days, although this did allow them to hone their performances and capture the exact emotions they were looking for. By the way, this was all shot on IMAX cameras. While the first film relied on IMAX cameras for 40% of the footage, cinematographer Grieg Fraser (who won an Oscar for the first "Dune" and also shot "Zero Dark Thirty" and "The Batman") went IMAX all the way on this one.

Here's the thing about Frank Herbert — the man wrote a lot. He penned six complete "Dune" novels during his lifetime, and even more of his work was published after his death. With that many books in his bibliography, there's a lot of material you could possibly adapt, especially since Denis Villeneuve's first two "Dune" movies are drawing from the original novel alone.

Fortunately for fans, it seems Villeneuve is very interested in a trilogy. Deadline reported in June 2023 that Villeneuve and screenwriter Jon Spaihts want to adapt Herbert's second "Dune" novel, "Dune Messiah." In August 2023, the director confirmed as much to Empire, saying, "If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream."

But what would the threequel be about exactly? Well, for those who don't know — spoiler alert — Herbert's "Dune" ends with Paul becoming the new emperor, and in "Dune Messiah," his reign has unleashed holy war upon the galaxy. Talking with The Playlist in 2022, screenwriter Jon Spaihts elaborated on all this, saying, "'Dune Messiah' is a very interesting book, which in some ways deconstructs 'Dune' and plays as a cautionary tale, even more than 'Dune' does, about the dangers of blending religion and politics, the hazards of following charismatic leaders, and the dangerous struggle that's always alive between the individual and institutions." 

Spaihts also explained that while "Part Two" will feel like a satisfactory finale, there will be a few elements in the movie hinting at "Part Three." Getting us even more excited, Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider reported that he'd heard "Dune Part Three" had already been given the go-ahead, and it's possible we'll see it in 2027. So if the sequel leaves you wanting more Arrakis, don't worry — we'll very possibly see Paul's story play out in even grander fashion in the future.