Dune director Denis Villeneuve is optimistic that the film will get a sequel should there not be a “bad outcome” at the box office.
Hollywood has been trying to get Frank Herbert’s sci-fi series Dune right since the early 70s. Auteur David Lynch tried his hand at the franchise and admittedly failed in the 80s, and a miniseries from 2000 left much to be desired. Now, all eyes have turned to Denis Villeneuve, who will be writing and directing Dune for Warner Bros. Everything about the film oozes competence and excitement so far, with recent trailers proving that Villeneuve might just pull off the daring act of adapting Herbert’s insane story.
Dune, which is set to hit cinemas and HBO Max this October, is adapting only half of the novel. Denis Villeneuve and Warner Bros. have expressed interest in a sequel but the condition has always been that the first film is a success. Well, we’ll have to have to see what happens this October considering that the film is releasing day and date on HBO Max for free. Beyond that, Dune doesn’t hold the brand recognition that Star Wars or Star Trek has, so the film is facing an uphill battle. Villeneuve is completely aware of that and he’s optimistic that the sequel will be made.
In a chat with GamesRadar+, Denis Villeneuve maintained his optimism for a Dune sequel, stating that the film would need to have a “bad outcome” at the box office for it not to warrant a part two.
“We have been hearing in the past few decades that it’s not possible to adapt this book, and that it’s an impossible task. I think that in the back of the mind of the studio, it’s still the same! So the first thing was to prove that there was a beautiful, popular movie that can exist, and I think that I proved that – everybody at Warner Bros and Legendary, they are 100 percent behind the project. They feel that it would need a really bad outcome at the box office to not have a Dune: Part Two, because they love the movie. They are proud of the movie, so they want the movie to move forward. And they still did half of it. So, you know, I’m very optimistic.”
It’s unclear what exactly a “bad outcome” for Dune would be. The summer box office has been less than stellar and with Delta variant ramping up throughout North America, potential cinemagoers are deciding to catch the latest releases at home. That being said, Villeneuve is already hard at work on a sequel, so maybe there is some truth to his optimism.
Here is the synopsis for Dune:
Set in the distant future, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of Arrakis.
Denis Villeneuve directed Dune from a script he co-wrote with Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts. The film stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Javier Bardem, and David Dastmalchian.
Dune arrives in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22, 2021. Stay tuned for all the latest news surrounding the upcoming film and be sure to subscribe to Heroic Hollywood’s YouTube channel for more original video content.
Source: GamesRadar+
The post ‘Dune’ Director Hopeful For Sequel If Box Office Returns Are Decent appeared first on Heroic Hollywood.
