It’s nothing unexpected: All signs were pointing to a “Dune” spin-off when Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s novel opened in U.S. theaters. On October 26, came an official affirmation from Legendary Entertainment and Warner Bros that ” Dune: Part Two” was officially a go.

As Villeneuve himself announced in an affirmation, “I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with ‘Dune: Part Two.’ It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream. This is only the beginning.”

Léa Seydoux Is Lady Margot

Hot off acclaim for Cannes films “One Fine Morning” and “Crimes of the Future,” Léa Seydoux is set to portray Lady Margot in the forthcoming “Dune” spin-off for Legendary.

Christopher Walken Is the Emperor

Christopher Walken portrays the ruler of the universe that at first sent the Atreides family to Arrakis to their peril. Jose Ferrer portrayed the role in David Lynch’s 1984 movie.

“Dune” Prequel Series Taps “Chernobyl” Director Johan Renck

Branching off from the movies, the “Dune” prequel series at HBO Max has tapped Emmy-winning “Chernobyl” director Johan Renck to helm the first two episodes. Denis Villeneuve was previously tapped to helm the pilot, yet at the same he’s working on “Part Two.” The show is set 10,000 years before the occasions of “Dune” and centers on the Harkonnen Sisters as they defend the future of humankind.

Austin Butler Is Confirmed to Play Feyd-Rautha

Hot off of “Elvis,” Austin Butler is advancing toward “Dune: Part II.” The “Once Upon a Time…in Hollywood” alum is affirmed to portray Feyd-Rautha, the evil nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and the successor to the Harkonnen empire. 

Florence Pugh Reportedly Joins the Cast

Florence Pugh might be joining the “Dune” sequel, as The Hollywood Reporter stated. The “Black Widow” alum is in talks to feature as Princess Irulan. 

Denis Villeneuve Says Shooting Will Start by “End of the Summer” 2022

Denis Villeneuve uncovered where things stand with “Dune: Part Two” and teased plot details for the sequel, which is scheduled to begin production “by the end of the summer” in 2022.

“I will say it is mostly designed,” Villeneuve said to Empire of the next installment featuring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Dave Bautista, and Stellan Skarsgård. “The thing that helps us right now is that it’s the first time I’ve revisited a universe. So I’m working with the same crew, everybody knows what to do, we know what it will look like. The movie will be more challenging, but we know where we are stepping. And the screenplay is written. So I feel confident.”

Villeneuve added, “Frankly, the only big unknown for me right now is the pandemic.”

“Dune: Part Two” Is Getting an Exclusive Theatrical Release

“Dune: Part Two” will open in theaters October 20, 2023 from Warner Bros. The date puts the sequel’s opening almost two years to the day of “Part One” opening on October 22, 2021. Legendary and Warner Bros have agreed to give “Dune: Part Two” an exclusive theatrical release, albeit the specific theatrical window has yet to be affirmed.

Which Cast Members Will Return?

Timothée Chalamet will return as Paul Atreides, as will Zendaya as his Fremen love interest Chani. The sequel will include significantly more of the Fremen, and that implies Javier Bardem will have much more to do as the group’s leader. The first “Dune” film ended with Paul and his mom, Lady Jessica, venturing to the Fremen city alongside the eponymous Arrakis natives. So indeed, Rebecca Ferguson will return as the Bene Gesserit member. Stellan Skarsgård should be coming back as well as the villainous Baron Harkonnen, as should Dave Bautista as the Baron’s sadistic henchman Glossu Rabban. Charlotte Rampling’s character, the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother named Gaius Helen Mohiam, is as yet alive on the planet and should show up in the next movie as the Emperor will be introduced in the flesh and she is his Truthsayer.

As for Jasom Momoa, Josh Brolin, and Stephen McKinley Henderson, their returns will rely on how faithful Villeneuve stays to Herbert’s novel. Brolin’s weapons master Gurney Halleck and Henderson’s Thufir Hawat were last spotted on Arrakis as it was being attacked by the Harkonnen forces. The two characters survive the attack in the book, so hope to see the actors again in “Dune: Part Two.”