The second move in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune adaptation has been delayed due to ongoing industrial disruption in the US.

Dune: Part 2 was originally scheduled for a November 3 release this year, but studio Warner Bros announced it would delay the premiere until March 15 2024.

Shooting on the movie had already concluded before screen actors went on strike, but union rules prevent actors from participating in promotional activity. With a marketing budget reported to be in excess of $100 million, the studio apparently doesn’t want to lose a crucial promotional resource – its stars.

Meanwhile, Villeneuve has announced he’s up for another movie based on the second book, Dune: Messiah, although no such project has been confirmed.

"If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream,” he told Empire, although that would be it. “After that the books become more… esoteric."

References

Variety ‘Dune: Part Two’ Delayed to 2024 Amid Strikes

Empire Denis Villeneuve Teases Possible Dune: Part Three Based On Dune Messiah: ‘There Are Words On Paper’ – Exclusive