Today, Legendary and Warner Bros. Pictures announced a release date change for Dune: Part Two. The movie is now scheduled to hit theaters on November 17, 2023. This premiere is positioned strategically, just ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday—a peak period for the domestic box office. Of course, there’s also bound to be more competition around that time, with The Hunger Games: The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, from Lionsgate, currently set to open on that same day.
When Dune: Part Two was green-lighted, it was initially allocated an October 20, 2023 release window. With all of the movement across their film slates over the past year however, it should be no surprise that studios are reevaluating timings. The news of this relatively insignificant delay for Dune, comes together with an announcement regarding the next entry in Legendary’s other major movie franchise; the untitled sequel to Godzilla vs. Kong is scheduled to premiere on March 15, 2024.
Filming is expected to commence on Dune: Part Two this summer—confirmed locations include Hungary and Italy—with Denis Villeneuve back to direct, alongside much of the crew who worked on the first movie. They’ve all had every reason to celebrate this year, with Dune: Part One winning six Oscar Awards (out of its 10 nominations).
Meanwhile casting news continues to flow in, with Léa Seydoux being the latest high-profile performer expected to join the production. Previously confirmed newcomers include Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler. They’ll be joining a star-studded list of returning cast members from Dune: Part One; featuring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, and Stellan Skarsgård.
Despite premiering during the pandemic, the first movie was a commercial success—especially overseas, where it was the fifth best-performing English-language film of 2021 . Earlier this year it crossed a total of $400M at the global box office. With theater attendance continuing to recover this year—four movies, including Top Gun: Maverick and The Batman, have already passed the $300M mark domestically—there’s even greater potential for Dune: Part Two with its new November 17, 2023 theatrical release date.
