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Why Warner Bros. Can't Announce Dune 2 Yet
Warner Bros. has yet to announce Dune: Part 2 because the decision isn't actually theirs to make. While Dune only just hit theaters and HBO Max in the US, fans of Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel are already clamoring for a sequel, which has yet to receive an official go-ahead. Director Denis Villeneuve took on the project of adapting the book for the big screen on one condition: The entire saga could not be confined to only one movie. In fact, from day one, Villeneuve has made it clear that his film covers just the first half of Herbert's novel, with the rest intended for a separate Part 2.
While WB CEO Ann Sarnoff recently teased that a follow-up is more than likely, the fate of Dune: Part 2 rests not only on the film's box office numbers, but its HBO Max performance as well. The first of those metrics looks to be going in Villeneuve's favor: Over its opening weekend, Dune brought in $41 million in the U.S. and Canada, which landed the studio its biggest three-day total since beginning their day-and-date HBO Max release strategy. Additionally, after premiering earlier in many international markets, the movie has already brought in a total of $220 million worldwide, an impressive feat in the pandemic era. So, given its better-than-expected financials, why hasn't a sequel been announced?
Speculation on Dune: Part 2 from Variety offers an important clue. While WB has always seemed enthusiastic about the prospect of a follow-up to Villeneuve's film, they are only its distributor, and Legendary Pictures, who c0-financed and produced Dune, owns the property's cinematic rights. Therefore, it's ultimately their call whether a sequel happens or not. What exactly Legendary needs to see from Part 1 to feel confident in greenlighting Part 2 is unclear, but with positive numbers from the US and China trickling in, an announcement could come at any time.
Should Dune: Part 2 happen, its timetable for release would be difficult to predict. Of course, Villeneuve would return as director, but with Hollywood famous for its busy schedules, getting the same cast and crew back together could take some time. Additionally, it's very likely there could be some friction between the filmmakers and WB over a release strategy, depending on how the first Dune performs on streaming. Villeneuve has vocally criticized the decision to release his film day-and-date on HBO Max, but that strategy was the result of specific, pandemic-era circumstances, and applied to their entire 2021 slate. Should audiences show more willingness to stream the movie from home than make the trip to their local cinemas, it's not unimaginable that WB might want another hybrid release for Dune: Part 2.
Still, the likelihood of a Dune sequel is very good, given the film's box office performance so far. The movie's budget was pegged around $165 million, so with additional marketing costs, it is currently on track to at least break even - which has been no guarantee for blockbusters since March 2020. Even if the production schedule pushes it years in the future, fans will be hoping that Dune: Part 2 gets its official greenlight from Legendary soon.
