Dune Director Is "Much More Happy" With Part Two Than Original Movie

The first attempt at bringing Frank Herbert's Dune to the big screen back in the '80s from director David Lynch was both a financial and critical disappointment, but Denis Villeneuve's revival of the material in 2021 became a hit with audiences and critics alike, earning a number of awards and accolades. Despite its accomplishments, Villeneuve feels like his upcoming Dune: Part Two has still surpassed that first film, as he explained that the connections between the characters have taken the adaptation to new heights. The upcoming Dune: Part Two is currently set to land in theaters on March 1, 2024.

"For me, this film is much better than Part One," Villeneuve shared during a South Korean press conference, per Variety. "There's something more alive in it. There's a relationship to the characters. I was trying to reach for an intensity and a quality of emotions that I didn't reach with Part One and that I did reach with Part Two. I'm not saying the film is perfect, but I'm much more happy with Part Two than I was with Part One. I can not wait to share it with the fans and the moviegoers."

Understandably, given that the second film is set to conclude the events of the original novel, the stakes will be much higher in Part Two, as Villeneuve previously expressed how the sequel embraces an action-oriented tone.

"The first movie was more meditative and contemplative. We were following a young man discovering a new planet, a new culture," Villeneuve confessed to Total Film. "The second movie…it's more of an action film than the first part. It's more muscular."  

Dune: Part Two is described, "This follow-up 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."

The upcoming sequel stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Dave Bautista as "Beast" Rabban, and Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Harkonnen. Newcomers to the franchise include Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, and Christopher Walker playing Emperor Shaddam IV.  

Dune: Part Two is expected to hit theaters on March 1, 2024.

Are you looking forward to the sequel? Let us know in the comments!