At 17 months from the release of the second part of his Dune diptych, Denis Villeneuve began shooting the film today in Italy. What do we know so far about this highly anticipated sequel to the film adaptation of Frank Herbert's science fiction novel? The Journal takes stock.
It was in Altivole, in the province of Treviso, that Denis Villeneuve gave the first turns of the crank following Dune today. According to the specialized site Deadline Hollywood, the Quebec filmmaker settled for a few days in this region of northeastern Italy to film some scenes of his film around the Brion Tomb, a funerary monument designed by the Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa between 1968 and 1978.
According to the Italian newspaper Treviso Today, this place very popular with tourists will be closed to the public until July 8 for the needs of the Hollywood production. It is not known which actors of the film will be present in Italy for these first days of filming.
After this short stay in Italy, Denis Villeneuve will move with his entire team to Budapest, Hungary, on July 21, to relocate to the same studios where he shot most of the first Dune, in 2019.
new faces
We already know that Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem will reprise their respective roles in the Dune sequel. However, in recent weeks, several other stars have joined the cast to interpret characters who will make their debut in the second part of the diptych.
This is particularly the case of the Oscar-winning actor Christopher Walken who will slip into the skin of Emperor Padishah Shaddam IV. Florence Pugh (Midsommar) will play her daughter, Princess Irulan, while Frenchwoman Léa Seydoux (Dying Can Wait) will play Lady Margot, a member of the community of sisters.
The actor Austin Butler, who can be seen these days in the skin of Elvis in the biographical drama devoted to the King, will defend the character of Feyd-Rautha, the great rival of the hero Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet ).
A paying bet
In 2019, Denis Villeneuve had made the bet to approach the filming of Dune as the first part of a diptych without having the certainty of being able to shoot the second part. The Warner Bros studio finally gave the green light for the filming of the second chapter last October, after being reassured by the excellent start of the film at the North American box office ($40 million in three days).
In an interview with the Journal last fall, Villeneuve promised a second film "more ambitious" than the first.
“In the first film, we had to take the time to install and explain this universe to people who have never read the book, had then underlined the Quebec filmmaker. Now that these elements have been introduced, the second part of the film will be able to be more dynamic and more pure fun and action. If Dune - Part 1 is an appetizer, Dune - Part 2 will be the main course. »
Released last October, the first film grossed over $400 million at the global box office and won six Oscars. Dune 2 hits theaters November 17, 2023.
