Summary
- Dune: Part 2 is not likely to be delayed, according to IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond, which is good news for fans and the franchise’s success.
- A long gap between the movies could lead to a loss of momentum and audience enthusiasm, so keeping the sequel on track is crucial.
- The success of Dune: Part 2 relies on maintaining the strong critical reception and cultural impact of Part 1, as well as having a timely theater release.
Dune: Part 2 has faced rumors of delays after the first installment of Denis Villeneuve’s science-fiction epic set the stage for a franchise, but now an update can give fans some hope. Director Villeneuve’s 2021 movie adaptation, starring Timothée Chalamet, followed the first part of Frank Herbert’s groundbreaking novel Dune and built an impressive world of alien landscapes and shadowy political intrigue. However, Warner Bros was “strongly considering” pushing back Dune: Part 2 from a November release until next year, and a long wait before picking the story back up again could have hurt the franchise.
The talk of delays came as Hollywood writer and actor strikes continued to cast doubt on film schedules. Thankfully, though, it seems that for Dune: Part 2, things are staying on track. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond said that Dune: Part 2 is not likely to be delayed, arguing it is “out of the gate” already. “From a dollars and cents numbers perspective, it just doesn’t make any sense to me that they would move it“, Gelfond told the IMAX Q2 earnings, according to The Motley Fool. As well as being practical cost-wise, keeping the sequel on track might be vital to the franchise, spelling the difference between success and failure.
Dune 2 Must Avoid Delay To Keep A Sense Of Positivity
Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 1 sees teenage protagonist Paul Atreides hiding in the desert, tasked with surviving in the harshest of conditions. The film’s ending sets things up perfectly for the second installment, which still follows Herbert’s first novel, with Paul now among the desert-dwelling Fremen, and Chani (Zendaya) telling him, “This is only the beginning“. However, a long gap between the movies, especially when the first ended halfway through the book, with the plot unresolved, could see momentum and audience enthusiasm fizzle out.
Adapting the Dune novels is already something associated with difficulty and risk. The books, set in a future era in which humanity is much-changed, are notoriously complicated, with plot development taking place via prophetic dreams and internal conversations with ancestors. Plus, parts of Frank Herbert’s Dune are just plain weird – so it’s little surprise TV versions have struggled and David Lynch’s 1984 movie version was savaged by some reviewers. Considering this, Villeneuve’s 2021 version beat the odds, meaning a lot is at stake. As Dune: Part 2‘s plot will likely be dense and complex, having the first movie fresh in viewers’ minds would be essential to the second’s success.
Villeneuve’s Dune Can Still Feel Like A Missed Opportunity – Despite Success
Dune: Part 1 got good reviews and a strong box-office showing, but this was still hampered by the pandemic’s effect on theaters, with the film simultaneously released for at-home streaming. As a big-budget blockbuster, with breathtaking special effects, it likely would have had a better showing amid more normal times – a shame after fans had waited decades for such a stylish adaptation of Herbert’s novel. Cutting off Dune’s story at a vital point in Part 1 could come back to bite filmmakers, too, if it means audiences go into Dune: Part 2 needing a recap.
All these factors add up to more risks facing Dune: Part 2, and would make it more of a missed opportunity if it didn’t maintain Dune: Part 1‘s strong critical reception and huge cultural impact, as well as putting a possible Dune: Part 3 at risk. However, an on-time theater release is a good sign. Along with Part 1‘s solid scene-setting, a returning Timothée Chalamet leading a strong cast, and the thrilling and challenging source material, Dune: Part 2 could have what it needs to keep on doing justice to Herbert’s iconic novels and Paul Atreides’ journey.
Sources: Variety, The Motely Fool
