Timothée Chalamet is heading back to the desert.
"Dune: Part Two," a sequel to Denis Villeneuve's sandswept sci-fi epic, has been greenlighted by its production company, Legendary Entertainment, and Warner Bros. Pictures, the studio confirmed Tuesday.
"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," Villeneuve said in a statement.
"This is only the beginning," he added, nodding to a line of dialogue from the film.
The sequel will be released exclusively in theaters in October 2023, the studio said in a statement.
The first installment of "Dune" wormed its way to the top of the North American box office over the weekend, grossing $40.1 million from 4,125 theaters, according to estimates — a solid debut given that it premiered simultaneously on HBO Max.
"Dune," set thousands of years in the future, stars Chalamet as a young man consumed by messianic visions that lead him on a voyage to the desert planet of Arrakis, where giant sandworms menace the population.
The first chapter co-starred Oscar Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin. Zendaya is widely expected to have a more prominent role in the sequel.
