A few weeks ago the CEO IMAX extension Richard Gelfond explained that he is convinced that Warner will not delay Dunes 2 despite the actors’ strike, because, according to him, the marketing campaign had already been launched and, above all, because Villeneuve’s film would have a substantial monopoly in the chain’s theaters in November (FULL DETAILS HERE).
But then a cold shower: Dunes 2 it has been moved to March 2024.
In a new interview published by Richard Gelfond on the acclaimed Matthew Belloni podcast, CityCEO IMAX extension he admits he is disappointed with the choice made by Warner, but is not overly concerned as there are still valid alternatives. First of all, Martin Scorsese’s Flower Moon Killers: even we at BadTaste just a couple of days ago suggested that without Dune 2 underfoot, Scorsese’s movie would have caught the ball in terms of presence in the PLF schemes (HERE HAVE ALL THE DETAILS).
You know, I was disappointed with the Dune move because I heard a lot of good things about the film, I know Denis Villeneuve quite well, I met him about the film, I talked a lot with Warner Bros… But, fortunately, since we are formatting, we have a lot of flexibility. Dune moving? We’ll show Miracles, we’ll show the Hunger Games prequel, we’ll give Killers of the Flower Moon more screen than we could with Dune 2. In short: this is not an insurmountable problem.
In March 2024, we will have Dune, which we are looking forward to. As frustrated as I am with the delay, we’re going from having to pick 1 movie out of 3 to being able to do 3 out of 3 so I’m not exactly crying in my basement in a fetal position. We hit 22% of the global box office with the first Dune, so I think it’s going to be a big hit for us again, just pushed back to 2024, but I think what we get in the project is something we’re excited about. In fact, I just read an article this morning that moving Dune should boost the box office of other films, and since we’re part of the showcase of those other films, that would be a worthy result for us.
Dune 2 synopsis and production data
“Dune. Part Two: Award-winning director Denis Villeneuve returns to direct the second chapter of the saga, inspired by Frank Herbert’s acclaimed novel Dune, with an even richer cast of international stars.
The film, produced by Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated sequel to the acclaimed Dune that won six Academy Awards in 2021. “Dune. Part Two brings back Frank Herbert’s acclaimed bestseller. The beloved main characters of the first chapter return to the big screen, along with numerous new global stars, among them: Oscar® nominee Timothée Chalamet (Wonka, Call Me By Your Name), Zendaya (Spider-Man). : No Home, Malcolm & Marie, Euphoria), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible: Dead Reckoning), Oscar® Nominee Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame, Milk), Oscar Nominee Academy Award® Nominee Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon a Time in Hollywood), Academy Award® Nominee Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Little Women), Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy films) , Thor: Love and Thunder), Academy Award® winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Hairspray), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Barriers, Lady Bird), Léa Seydoux (Saga about James Bond and Crimes of the Future), with Stellan Skarsgård (Mamma Mia!, Avengers: Age of Ultron films), Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (45 Years, Assassin’s Creed) and winner Academy Award® winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, O Ricardo).
“Dune. Part Two explores the mythical journey of Paul Atreides as he joins Chani and the Fremen on a path of vengeance against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Faced with a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, Paul takes on a mission to prevent a terrible future that only he can foresee. Villeneuve directed the film from a screenplay co-written with John Speights based on Herbert’s novel.
The film is produced by Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Denis Villeneuve, Tanya Lapointe and Patrick McCormick. The executive producers are Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gaines, John Spaites, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, with Kevin J. Anderson acting as creative consultant. Villeneuve reunites with the Dune production team of Academy Award®-winning cinematographer Greig Fraser, Academy Award®-winning production designer Patrice Vermette, Academy Award-winning film editor Joe Walker®, Paul Lambert, award-winning Oscar® Visual Effects Supervisor, and Jacqueline West, Oscar® nominated costume designer. The soundtrack for Chapter 2 was also composed by Academy Award winner Hans Zimmer. “Dune. Part Two” was filmed in Budapest, Abu Dhabi, Jordan and Italy. The film will be released in theaters in Italy on November 1, 2023 through distribution by Warner Bros. pictures.
Find all information about Dunes: Chapter Two in the film sheet.
SOURCE: The Town podcast on Spotify.