Shooting on the second half of Warner Bros. and Legendary’s still-unfolding sci-fi saga is now underway; planned locations include Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Italy.
Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment have started filming on Dune: Part Two -- the second half of director Denis Villeneuve’s still-unfolding sci-fi saga based on the acclaimed Frank Herbert novel Dune.
Dune: Part Two stars returning cast members Timothée Chalamet (Wonka, Call Me by Your Name); Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Euphoria); Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning); Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Being the Ricardos); Josh Brolin (Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery, Army of the Dead); Stellan Skarsgård (Avengers: Age of Ultron); Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy, Thor: Love and Thunder); Charlotte Rampling (45 Years, Assassin’s Creed); and Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences, Lady Bird). New additions to the existing ensemble include Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood) as Feyd Rautha; Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Hairspray) as the Emperor; Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Little Women); Léa Seydoux (James Bond franchise, Crimes of the Future); and Souheila Yacoub (No Man’s Land series, Climax).
Per Legendary Entertainment, the film “will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
Villeneuve is directing Dune: Part Two from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts. Villeneuve further serves as producer, alongside Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Patrick McCormick. Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Thomas Tull, Jon Spaihts, Richard P. Rubinstein, and John Harrison serve as executive producers. Kevin J. Anderson is also on board the production as creative consultant.
Greig Fraser (Lion, Zero Dark Thirty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story), who won the Oscar for Best Cinematography for his work on Villeneuve’s first Dune film, is reuniting with the director to shoot Part Two. Also joining is costume designer Jacqueline West (The Revenant, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Quills); makeup, hair, and prosthetic designer Donald Mowat (Blade Runner 2049); composer Hans Zimmer (Blade Runner 2049, Inception, Gladiator, The Lion King); production designer Patrice Vermette (Arrival, Sicario, The Young Victoria); Joe Walker (Blade Runner 2049, Arrival, 12 Years a Slave).
Paul Lambert (First Man, Blade Runner 2049) is serving as visual effects supervisor on the film, and Gerd Nefzer (Blade Runner 2049) is on board as its special effects supervisor.
Dune: Part Two is being filmed on location in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan, and Italy. The film is scheduled for a worldwide theatrical release on November 17, 2023 - earlier this month, Warner Bros. and Legendary announced the film's release would be delayed one month from its previously scheduled October 20, 2023 release date.
Max Weinstein is a writer and editor based in Los Angeles. He is the Editor-at-Large of 'Dread Central' and former Editorial Director of 'MovieMaker.' His work has been featured in 'Cineaste,' 'Fangoria,' 'Playboy,' 'Vice,' and 'The Week.'
