Amid the ongoing writers' and actors' strikes, there are concerns that Dune: Part Two will be pushed back from its original November release date. Now, a Hollywood exec has offered an update on the matter.
Dune 2 is set to continue the story of Timothee Chalamet's Paul Atreides as he tries to seek revenge against the Emperor for the fall of House Atreides. The Denis Villeneuve-directed is headlined by a stellar cast led by Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh.
Initially slated to release on November 17, the upcoming sequel is now set to premiere in theaters on November 3, 2023.
Dune 2 Receives Promising Release Update
During the recent IMAX earnings call in July, IMAX Chief Executive Officer Richard Gelfond talked about the chances of Dune: Part Two being pushed back from its release date.
Gelfond said that he thinks that Dune: Part Two is "highly unlikely to move" from its November 3 release date, citing his statement as an "educated opinion:"
"In terms of ['Dune,'] my own opinion is that it's highly unlikely to move, and it's an educated opinion, meaning I spent a lot of time on the facts."
The IMAX executive then revealed that director Denis Villeneuve already presented at the company's CEO Forum while also confirming that the sequel will play on IMAX screens for "up to five or six weeks:"
"As a matter of fact, Denis Villeneuve presented at the IMAX CEO Forum. So, it's kind of out of the gate. So, if you put it back in the game, you've got to duplicate those expenses at some time in the future putting it out of the gate. In addition, Dune has a very long run time in IMAX, up to five or six weeks."
Interestingly, Variety released an exclusive this month stating that Dune 2 could be pushed back to 2024.
However, Gelfond pointed out that Warner Bros. told him that Variety's exclusive was "not true" while also reiterating that he feels "quite strongly" that the sequel is not going to move:
"And I don't -- they've certainly told me that that article is not true. So, all I can do is give you my logical perspective on it, but I feel quite strongly that it's not going to move."
Why Dune 2 Will Likely Not Be Delayed
IMAX Chief Executive Director Richard Gelfond's latest comments strongly indicate that Dune: Part Two will not be delayed from its November release date.
Moreover, the executive director's remarks about Dune 2 director Denis Villeneuve's presentation to the IMAX CEO Forum also suggest that a delay is not in the cards.
If Dune 2 ends up not receiving a delay, the next challenge for the studio is on the promotional side of things.
If the actors' strike is still ongoing in November, then the sequel's lead stars led by Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya are not expected to be active in promoting the movie during its release.
Despite that, Dune 2 is still poised to perform well at the box office, considering its lengthy run on IMAX screens and widespread positive reception from fans and critics toward the first movie.
Dune: Part Two is still set to premiere in theaters on November 3.
