Denis Villeneuve to Film Extra ‘Dune’ Footage in August, but No Release Delay Planned
Zack Sharf
Denis Villeneuve is preparing to shoot additional footage on “Dune” this August in Europe, Deadline confirms. Per the report: “The team is planning to head back to Budapest, Hungary, where the movie shot in 2019 at Origo Film Studios. Filming has also taken part in Jordan and Norway, and initially wrapped back in July last year.” Cast member Oscar Isaac confirmed the new shooting plan in an interview with Deadline.
“We’re going to do some additional shooting in mid August…they’re saying in Budapest in Hungary,” Isaac said. “I saw some things cut together and it just looks amazing. Denis [Villeneuve] is a real artist and it will be exciting to see it come together. It’s kind of wild that we’re doing some additional shooting a few months before it’s supposed to come out, but that happened with Star Wars as well.”
According to Deadline, the additional filming on “Dune” is not out of the ordinary for a Hollywood tentpole of this scale and the extra shooting “will not cause a delay and it will still release” on schedule. Warner Bros. and Legendary have “Dune” set for a nationwide opening on December 18. The project is being designed by Villeneuve as a two-part film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s legendary science-fiction novel, which was first brought to the big screen by David Lynch in 1984. Cinematographer Greig Fraser has said the December 18 release will feel like a standalone film.
“It’s a fully formed story in itself with places to go,” Fraser said. “It was quite an adventure visually. It was a beautiful experience making it. The people involved with it, I was overwhelmed. Some of the actors, as well as being insanely talented actors, are just lovely, lovely people who I’ve become very close to since then.”
Villeneuve’s “Dune” stars Timothee Chalamet in the leading role opposite an ensemble cast that includes Isaac, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin. It’s the director’s first project since the release of “Blade Runner 2049,” which earned critical acclaim and Oscars for Best Cinematography and more. While Warner Bros. has moved “Tenet” to July 31 and “Wonder Woman” to October 2, the “Dune” release has stayed on December 18 and remains there for now.
