2021’s Dune will probably go down as one of the best adaptations in the history of cinema, but rewatch the gorgeous-looking Denis Villeneuve film however much we may, it doesn’t change the discouraging fact that we’re still a long while away from its sequel, the so-called Dune: Part Two. Luckily, the director himself tends to keep his fans in the loop, meaning that we’ll probably be getting regular updates as to how production is progressing at every step of the way.
If like us, your days are spent pondering how close the production team of Dune is going back to the desert world of Arrakis to film the second part of Frank Herbert’s novel, then Denis Villeneuve has got you covered. The acclaimed filmmaker recently appeared on the Awards Chatter Podcast (via THR) and revealed that they’re still in the early pre-production phase, so it’ll definitely be some time before cameras roll again in Abu Dhabi, the filming location for Part One.
“Right now, I’m in what you call ‘soft prep,’ meaning that we are finishing the screenplay,” He said. “We’ll start storyboards soon. Part Two is being designed right now by [production designer] Patrice [Vermette]. It’s that beautiful part where it’s just dreaming, looking at the ceiling and thinking about the movie, I love it. I mean, it’s like the moment where everything is possible, before we have the shock of reality that will come.”
If the team keeps a consistent watch on the production quality, and they almost certainly will, then Dune: Part Two will be on par with the original movie. That only leaves the question of how the screenplay will fare against Villeneuve’s previous one, so let’s hope that the creative is approaching the story with the same precision as he did before.