There's (understandably) still a lot of uncertainly surrounding Dune: Part 1's box office performance, but director Denis Villeneuve seems highly optimistic that Warner Bros. will ultimately decide to move ahead with the sequel.
The first reviews for the film dropped over the weekend, and while they were mostly quite positive (it currently sits at 85% on Rotten Tomatoes), there's concern that the cerebral, slow-burn sci-fi tale won't be met with the same reaction from general audiences when it's released next month - especially in the current climate.
However, Villeneuve revealed that if and when the studio does give him the go-ahead, he'll be ready to get to work on Part 2 as soon as next year.
“To go quickly in a movie of that size you still need to make sets, costumes, so we are talking about months,” he explained to /Film. “But if ever there's enthusiasm and the movie is greenlit sooner than later, I will say that I will be ready to shoot in 2022, for sure. I would love to because I am ready to go, and I will say that I would love to bring it to the screen as soon as possible.”
We'll just have to wait and see what kind of reception awaits Dune, but for now, the filmmaker is happy to tease big things for his potential follow-up.
“The tough task [in Part One] was to introduce you guys to this world, to the ideas, to the codes, to the cultures, the different families, the different planets. Once this is done it becomes an insane playground,” he adds. “So it will allow me to go berserk and really create... I should not say this but I will say that for me Dune: Part One is like an appetiser. Dune: Part Two is the main meal where we can add much more. That's what I can say. As much as Dune: Part One was by far my most exciting project ever, Dune: Part Two is already getting me even more excited.”
Dune is set to hit theaters and HBO Max on October 22. Do you guys plan on checking it out on the big screen? Drop us a comment down below.