Dune: Part Two might be delayed, but it's still going to be pretty long.
Despite rumors that the sequel would be a hefty 3 hours and 15 minutes long, Eirin, the official Japanese rating organization for film, says otherwise. According to the Eirin website (as screenshot and shared by a fan), the official runtime is 2 hours and 45 minutes. This is only 11 minutes longer than Dune: Part One.
Considering how dense Frank Herbert's book series is, with a total of 28 installments, keeping the runtime just under three hours is a pretty impressive feat. David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of Dune was rumored to have a director's cut of over four hours. Though not officially confirmed, a third film in the modern series is most likely on the way, with director Denis Villeneuve updating fans that the script for Dune 3 is almost done.
Dune: Part Two, helmed once again by Villeneuve, sees Timothée Chalamet return as Paul Atreides, alongside other returning cast members Zendaya as Chani, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, and Rebecca Ferguson Lady Jessica. New additions to the cast include Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Christopher Walken as Padyszach Imperator Szaddam IV, and Austin Butler as the villainous (and bald) Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
The film was initially slated for an October 20, 2023 release, before being pushed back to November and finally settling on a March 2024 premiere due to the WGA and SAG-AFTRA actors' strike.
Dune: Part Two is set to hit theaters on March 1, 2024. For more, check out our list of the most exciting upcoming movies in 2024 and beyond.
