Everything to Know About the ‘Dune’ Sequel: Timothee Chalamet Returns, Zendaya’s Expanded Role and More

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Everything to Know About the 'Dune' Sequel: Timothee Chalamet Returns, Zendaya's Expanded Role and More

Get ready to go back to Arrakis! Dune fans rejoice – because the sequel is already in the works. Dune was initially released in October 2021 and was not only a hit with the fans, but with the critics as well. The Oscar-nominated film starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya was a box office smash, earning more than $400 million worldwide. The immediate success of the film led to the confirmation of the sequel shortly after. Denis Villeneuve will return to direct the second film. In March 2022, he revealed that the screenplay was “mostly” finished. “But it’s always a work in progress,” Villeneuve said in an interview with Collider at the time. “It’ll be a work in progress until final cut, but I will say it’s solidified. I have a script in my hands. We are in prep right now. My crew, we are in full prep for the movie.” Dune, based on Frank Herbert’s lengthy science fiction novel of the same name, was always intended to be split into two movies, according to Villeneuve. Chalamet, 26, stars as the film’s hero, Paul Atreides, while Zendaya, 25, plays Chani, his future love interest. The cast is rounded out by Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgard, Oscar Isaac, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Zendaya’s role in the first part of the franchise was minimal and left viewers wanting more. Luckily, the wishes of the Dune fandom appear to be coming true! [jwplayer 8zXTUhbX-zhNYySv2] “For Zendaya, I will say Part One was a promise. I know that we saw a glimpse of her in Part One, but in Part Two, she’ll have a prominent part,” Villeneuve told Variety in a March 2022 interview. “We will follow Timothée and Zendaya on their adventures in the desert. That’s the thing that excited me most about going back to Arrakis is to spend time with those characters again.” Zendaya also hinted about her story line development with Deadline in November 2021. “Anybody who has read the books knows there’s so much more to explore and deal with,” she said at the time. In the same interview, Chalamet expressed his excitement to get back on set. “We were ready to do it back then [when we wrapped Part One]. This story is far from finished,” he teased. Although most are set to return, Isaac, 43, won’t be one of them following his character’s death. However, two new characters will be introduced – Princess Irulan and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Florence Pugh and Austin Butler are in talks to play those prospective roles, but nothing has been officially confirmed. While Dune: Part One had a same-day theater and HBO Max release, Part 2 will have an exclusive theater release. However, it’s yet to be confirmed when it will arrive on streaming platforms. Keep scrolling to see everything we know about Dune Part 2 so far:

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When Does It Premiere?

Dune Part 2 was confirmed in October 2021 and has since undergone a number of schedule changes regarding its release date. 

While the premiere was originally set to come out on October 20, 2023, the film’s producer, Mary Parent told Deadline at their Contenders Film event that the production had been pushed back to the fall. 

In October 2022, Variety revealed that Dune Part 2 will now hit the big screen on November 3, 2023, Though the premiere had been pushed back to November 17, 2023, the film is taking an earlier time slot due to the delay of Marvel’s Blade, per Variety. 

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Who Is Returning?

Chalamet, Zendaya, Ferguson, Skarsgard and Bardem are set to return for the sequel. Momoa, Brolin and McKinley Henderson have not officially signed on yet, but if the sequel stays true to the novel's original plot, all three of their characters could make an appearance. 

Credit: Chiabella James/Warner Bros. Entertainment

How Much of Zendaya Will We See?

Zendaya’s character, Chani, was briefly introduced for a few minutes in Part 1, only appearing in Paul’s [Chalamet] visions. At the end of Part 1, Chani and Paul finally meet face to face. In Part 2, Chani will become the female protagonist with an expanded role. If the movie follows the novel, Chani will guide and protect Paul on his journey and emerge as his love interest.

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Who Is in Talks?

Dune Part 2 will introduce two new characters: Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter who marries Paul for political reasons, and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the nephew and chosen heir of Baron Harkonnen (Skarsgard). Pugh is in talks to play Princess Irulan, and Butler is in negotiations to play Feyd-Rautha Harkonne. 

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Where Does the Plot Leave Off?

The first film ended with Paul finally meeting Chani and joining the Fremen to bring peace to Arrakis. The sequel will pick up right where the first film left off, focusing on Paul’s rise to power and his rebellion against the story’s villain, Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, played by Skarsgaard. Viewers can also expect some epic battles and more giant sandworms!

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The Emperor Is In

Christopher Walken was tapped to portray the Padishah Emperor, according to an Entertainment Weekly report in May 2022. In the book, the regent is known as the ruler of the entire universe.

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Plenty of Surprises

“I’ve read the new draft,” Javier Bardem, who portrayed Stilgar in the first film, said at Cannes Film Festival in May 2022, per Deadline. “I think they’ve done an amazing job of putting together the pieces in a way that is gonna surprise people. They won’t be surprised [by what happens], obviously, because they’ve read the book, but they’ll be surprised by the way they put it together.”

He continued: “I was very moved by it. It’s a movie that is full, and you can feel the weight of it, and at the same time [you can enjoy] the spectacularity of it. [I can’t wait] to go back to the desert with those people, and I’m so happy to go back with Denis, who is one of the greatest directors ever. He’s a lovely man.”

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Timothée Chalamet Raves About Florence Pugh and Zendaya

In a November 2022 interview with Variety, Chalamet had nothing but praise for working with Pugh and Zendaya in the sequel.

“She’s an incredible actor. She was incredible in Dune — seriously incredible,” the actor gushed of Pugh, also adding that she had already wrapped on the film. “She brought a gravitas to the role. And I can’t believe my good fortune at this young age.”

The Bones and All star noted that Zendaya hadn’t finished filming at that point and that she was still “bringing exactly what she brought to the first one — which was incredible — but in greater abundance.”

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What Was Austin Butler’s 1st Day on Set Like?

“It’s really surreal. You feel sort of like a kid in your favorite film. It’s like walking on to the set of any film that that you admire, like walking onto Indiana Jones or something like that. Like one of those films that really impact you as a kid, that’s how it felt,” the Carrie Diaries alum gushed to Variety in November 2022, noting he was a huge fan of the first movie. “It was this cinematic masterpiece, so the idea of getting to be a part of that world is just incredibly exciting and Denis is one of my favorite filmmakers and just an amazing human being. He’s so kind and I’m a fan of every one of those actors in the film, so I I felt really honored.”

Credit: Courtesy of Timothee Chalamet/Instagram

The End of Filming

In December 2022, Chalamet confirmed that filming was over, sharing a selfie that showed him and his dad, Marc, posing on location. "DUNE 2 WRAPPED (with desert dad !!)," the Bones and All actor captioned the fun snap.