‘Dune: Part Two’ Won’t Have A Venice Debut But Could Still Show Up At A Later Festival

It would appear that Warner Bros. Discovery is changing things up with the release of “Dune: Part Two” later this year. Unlike the previous film in the franchise, there won’t be a flashy Venice Film Festival debut to build buzz for the film. Instead, it appears the studio might have something else up its sleeve. We just don’t know what that is, yet.

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According to Deadline, “Dune: Part Two” won’t be making its debut at this year’s Venice Film Festival. The reason is apparently two-fold. One, the film’s VFX won’t be done in time for a Venice debut. And two, the release date for the feature is nearly a month later than the original “Dune,” which means a Venice premiere doesn’t make as much sense as before. But that doesn’t mean the studio is forgoing all festival appearances for Denis Villeneuve’s new film. 

WBD is said to be still interested in a festival debut for the film. As mentioned, in 2021, the Venice premiere helped build immense buzz for “Dune: Part One,” which led to a better-than-expected theatrical run. So, there’s still a lot of benefit to showing off the film a bit early for festivals. But which makes the most sense? With Venice out of the question, you almost have to immediately write off TIFF and Telluride, as they happen in quick succession after Venice. The most obvious answer would be New York Film Festival, which begins on September 29. There’s also the San Sebastian Film Festival, which begins on September 22. 

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We can’t forget the other option—no festival. WBD could bet big on the film being a well-known commodity, at this point, after the first film did so well at the box office and with critics, and just release the film with a typical red carpet premiere. Unless the film is running behind in post-production, you have to assume a festival premiere would be much more desirable, however. 

“Dune: Part Two” is the continuation of the first film, aiming to finish the story of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel. The stacked cast for the film includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Dave Bautista, Stellan Skarsgard, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Lea Seydoux, Christopher Walken, and Tim Blake Nelson. 

But if you’re a “Dune” fan and were hoping to see the film debut at Venice this year, you’re out of luck, sadly.