Denis Villeneuve’s Dune more than lived up to expectations. The famed French director brought Arrakis to life in style, an awesome star-studded cast with jaw-dropping visuals. The only caveat was that this was only the first half of Frank Herbert’s book and as the movie hit theaters, the second half was still in question.
But Dune was deservedly a big pandemic hit and soon after its release fans breathed a sigh of relief when Warner Bros. confirmed that Dune: Part Two was going to happen. This means Villeneuve and his cast are heading back to the desert to finish the story of the first book.
Timothée Chalamet was particularly invested in finishing his character’s arc, with the first movie showing his initial awakenings as the Muad’Dib. Now, in a new interview with Total Film, Villeneuve has revealed that he was the first person he called and the adorable way he broke the news to him:
Definitely, because of his incredible enthusiasm, it was Timothée. I spent almost a year with Timothée where he was saying to me, “Can I put a little bit of the Muad’Dib here?” I said, “No, Timothée. You’re not the Muad’Dib yet.” I spent a year saying to him, “Relax, man. It’s for Part Two.” So I just wrote him a text message saying: “Muad’Dib time.” And then it was a burst of joy in Timothée.
Dune: Part Two will see Chalamet’s Paul Atreides coming into his own as he assumes command of the Fremen and wages war on the Harkonnen’s to win back Arrakis. Those who’ve seen previous adaptations and read the book will know this comes with some crazy action and takes the characters to some cool places.
No word yet on when Dune: Part Two goes before the cameras, but it’s currently pegged for release on October 20, 2023.
