Dune: Part Two release date has been delayed

Dune’s highly-anticipated sequel is going to require anticipation for a little longer, as the film’s release date has been pushed back.

Dune fans won’t be heading back to the desert planet of Arrakis for a while now, as the film has suddenly been delayed.

Dune: Part One, directed by Denis Villeneuve, ended with Paul (Timothée Chalamet) joining the Fremen and planning to bring peace to Arrakis.

He and his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) travel with the Fremen to their home city, no doubt to ride sandworms, much to many fans’ excitement.

When will Dune: Part Two be released?

For currently unknown reasons, Warner Bros. has revealed that Dune: Part Two, the second chapter in the epic sci-fi film adaptation, has been pushed back, and will now open in cinemas on November 17, 2023, instead of October 20, 2023.

Thankfully, this delay is clearly not massive, so people won’t be left alone in space for too long, but it does make the time between the first and second film’s release dates just over a year rather than just under, since Part One was released October 22, 2021.

What will happen in Dune: Part Two?

The sequel will seemingly continue to follow the Frank Herbert’s novel of the same name, and depict Paul’s rise to power among the Fremen, and the resulting rebellion against Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. The Harkonnen clan will be expanded upon, namely villain Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) along with his nephew, Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista).

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Zendaya’s role of Chani will apparently be massively expanded upon for the sequel, after her limited appearance in Part One disappointed some fans. And there will also be some new characters, including Princess Irulan, Paul’s future wife, and Alia Atreides, the daughter of Lady Jessica and the late Duke Leto.

Denis Villeneuve told Collider in March 2022 that while the sequel script was “finished mostly,” it would “always be a work in progress” until the very end of production. He also noted that some premises in the first film would actually be ignored for the sequel, so we’ll have to see how the story gets affected by that.

Considering this, perhaps Villeneuve has decided to change something midway through production, hence the delay in release date.

Where can I watch Dune: Part Two?

Dune: Part Two will be getting an exclusive theatrical release from Warner Bros.

This decision likely comes from Villeneuve having been against putting the first Dune film on HBO Max at the same time it was playing in cinemas. Plus, as the director continued stating to Collider, there will be a much greater use of IMAX footage for the sequel.

The exact theatrical window has yet to be confirmed, but it is expected to be around 45 days, which is the industry’s norm.

Dune: Part One is currently available to stream on HBO Max.