After a three year gap between films and a strike-induced delay that prevented it from making its planned fall 2023 release date, the wait for “Dune: Part Two” is almost over. It appears to be worth the wait.
Denis Villeneuve‘s epic sequel, which concludes his take on Frank Herbert’s original “Dune” novel, is set to hit theaters on Friday, March 1. While full reviews have yet to be published, many critics have taken to social media to share their overwhelmingly positive responses to the film following its world premiere on Thursday night.
Some called it a “masterpiece” and even better than the first film, while others compared it to the action seen in epics like Peter Jackson’s “Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers.” Though as you’ll see below, the praise wasn’t completely universal.
The hype is a good sign for Warner Bros. and Villeneuve, who has expressed his hope that this will not be the last we see of the “Dune” franchise. The director has teased his plans to conclude a trilogy with another film that pulls heavily from Herbert’s second novel in the series, “Dune Messiah.” The second film was greenlit after the original made $433 million worldwide in 2021, so hopes are high for the sequel.
“If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream,” Villeneuve said in a recent interview. “’Dune Messiah’ was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning.”
“Dune: Part Two” sees Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, and Josh Brolin reprising their roles from the original film alongside franchise newcomers Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Keep reading for a roundup of early social media reactions to “Dune: Part Two.”
