Originally, Denis Villeneuve wanted both parts of his epic ‘Dune‘ to be filmed back-to-back. However, when he sat down with fellow filmmaker Christopher Nolan, he was relieved to have a break from filming.
Fortunately, ‘Dune’ surpassed box-office expectations, raking in 200 million in its first weekend. Now, ‘Dune: Part 2‘ has a confirmed release date of 2023 (sigh), Villeneuve opens up about why both parts were not filmed simultaneously.
This is no easy feat, though it has been accomplished before with Peter Jackson’s ‘Lord of The Rings’ trilogy. The director admits what a challenge this would’ve been:
“I would have died. I’m so happy we didn’t, because I would have not had the stamina to do that… I’m grateful that it happened this way because shooting in the desert and its elements was very inspiring and exhilarating… but I was exhausted at the end of this shoot.”Denis Villenueve
Timothee Chalamet even jokingly admit that they’ve only just now gotten the sand out from their systems. However, given the possibility to film a sequel I’m sure the cast would’ve loved to see the journey continue as much as we do.
The director’s initial proposal was initially turned down due to skeptics, who questioned the film’s commercial success, given its less stellar adaptations. And though Villeneuve is a true artist, his successful films don’t always bring in the box-office numbers execs want to see.
But after the influx of positive reviews from critics and fans alike, a sequel can’t come soon enough. While Villeneuve may be relieved, those of us on the edge of our seats can hardly wait another day.
Filming will commence in 2022, for an expected ‘Dune: Part 2’ release date in October 2023.
