Deadline (via SFFGazette.com) has revealed that we'll be waiting a little longer than expected for Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two, as Warner Bros. has moved the highly anticipated sequel from October 20, 2023 to November 17, 2023.
Considering we didn't expect Dune to actually get any sort of follow-up thanks to its dual HBO Max/theatrical release, we can cope with waiting an extra month! Regardless, November is a good spot for the movie, and a slot we know Warner Bros. favours. In the past, it's been saved for the likes of Justice League and Fantastic Beasts, though we anticipate Dune: Part Two faring better than either of those struggling franchises.
In terms of competition, Lionsgate has The Hunger Games prequel, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes, scheduled for that same day, so it will be interesting to see whether they back down. That franchise has a large YA following, but so do Timothee Chamalet and Zendaya!
Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin are expected to reprise their roles in Dune: Part Two, while recent additions include Léa Seydoux, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Austin Butler.
Trolls 3 and John Krasinski's untitled Ryan Reynolds-led movie are also set for that Thanksgiving weekend, so unless something major happens, it will be a busy few days for theaters.
In related news, the Godzilla vs. Kong sequel finally has a release date: March 15, 2024. Adam Wingard will return to helm the untitled blockbuster that is rumoured to be Son of Kong. Godzilla's future in Legendary's MonsterVerse is unclear after Toho laid out plans to tell their own stories with the iconic Kaiju, so don't go into this one necessarily expecting an epic rematch!
The next couple of years are certainly shaping up to be an exciting time for blockbuster movies, and these both stand a good chance of being hits for Warner Bros.