Hopefully, this March release date will be the last change for the calendar-traveling movie. The impetus for this most recent switch-up, according to THR, is likely that the Ryan Gosling and Emma Blunt-led action rom-com “The Fall Guy” just moved from that March 1 spot to a May date, opening up that weekend for another big release. Given how much thought the studio powers-that-be are clearly putting into finding the right time for “Dune: Part Two,” it’s clear the big-budget sci-fi spectacle is an investment that Warner Bros. is hoping will pay off. Its predecessor certainly did: the first “Dune” movie made over $400 million at the box office against a reported $160 million budget.
Director Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Two” will conclude the story of Frank Herbert’s epic, seemingly unfilmable doorstop of a sci-fi novel. Timothée Chalamet will return as special chosen mama’s boy Paul Atreides, while Austin Butler will join as villainous Feyd-Rautha (the character embodied by Sting in David Lynch’s version of the film) and Florence Pugh will play Princess Irulan. Christopher Walken, Tim Blake Nelson, and Léa Seydoux are all reportedly joining the cast for round two as well.
Barring any more last-minute changes, “Dune: Part Two” will hit theaters March 1, 2024.