‘Dune: Part 2’ Pushed to November 17, 2023, Warner Bros. Dates New Monsterverse Movie for March 2024
Warner Bros. has made some updates to their upcoming calendar of releases. This includes delaying Dune: Part 2 a month, and dating the next event film in the MonsterVerse.
Dune: Part 2 is moving from October 20, 2023, to November 17, 2023, where it will compete against the new Hunger Games prequel The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. But that is not it, Universal is also entertaining the little ones with Trolls 3, and Paramount is putting out a new movie from John Krasinski starring Ryan Reynolds. All four quadrants will have a movie to see that weekend, which is usually very populated due to its proximity to Thanksgiving in the U.S.
Dune: Part 2 will begin filming in the Fall in Budapest. In addition to returning cast members Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgard, and Josh Brolin, the sequel has enlisted Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV, Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot, and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha. With only a delay of one month, the shift is likely strategical, though it makes it less likely for the movie to have a festival run in September as the first Dune had.
In addition, WB has dated a new movie in the MonsterVerse for March 15, 2024. Not many details are known at this point about the film, but we’ve been getting some reports from the project shooting in Australia. Adam Wingard will apparently be directing again, and Dan Stevens is joining the cast. As of this moment, the only competition the new movie would face in March 2024 is Spider-Man: Beyond the Spider-Verse, which opens in theaters on the 29th. Disney and Universal have reserved some dates in February and March, but they haven’t disclosed what they will be releasing there, yet.
#TheMonsterverseContinues March 15, 2024. pic.twitter.com/c3es3fCBcD
— Godzilla vs. Kong (@GodzillaVsKong) June 30, 2022
Rumors indicate that this could be a Son of Kong movie, and a new Instagram post from Village Road Show Studios has added some fuel to the fire:
Village Roadshow Studios slipped up on their instagram and revealed the next MonsterVerse movie will be a King Kong movie. pic.twitter.com/nsT15hSOv4
— Rick (@RickDaSquirrel) June 24, 2022
In addition to this new movie, Legendary is developing a MonsterVerse TV series set in between their two “solo” Godzilla installments; it will be distributed through Apple TV+ following a fresh deal between the two companies. WandaVision‘s Matt Shakman is on board to direct, and the series has just recruited Anna Sawai, Ren Watabe, Kiersey Clemons, Joe Tippett, and Elisa Lasowski. Here’s the synopsis of the series, per Variety:
In the show, following the thunderous battle between Godzilla and the Titans that leveled San Francisco and the shocking new reality that monsters are real, one family journeys to uncover its buried secrets and a legacy linking them to the secret organization known as Monarch.
Here are the character descriptions:
- Anna Sawai (Pachinko, F9) will star as Cate, a former schoolteacher, and a G-Day survivor. She travels to Japan to settle family affairs but instead uncovers a family secret. Tired of running from her problems, she is determined to find answers.
- Ren Watabe (461 Days of Bento) will play Kentaro, described as an intelligent, creative and curious young man who has yet to find his own path. He will embark on a quest to learn more about his revered yet mysterious father and discover his own talents in the process.
- Kiersey Clemons (Hearts Beat Loud, The Young Wife) stars as May, an American ex-pat with a roguish exterior that she uses to protect herself as well as others. Whether it be deciphering a code or finding the loophole, she is always three steps ahead of everyone around her.
- Joe Tippett (Mare of Easttown, The Morning Show, Rise) stars as Tim, an office drone who dreams of secret agent adventure. His overconfidence gets him in trouble in the field, but he is determined not to fail his organization.
- Lasowski (Versailles) will appear as Duvall, an expert operative with unwavering confidence in herself and her skills. She also possesses a wry sense of humor, which she uses to guide her less field-oriented colleague.
No release date or production dates have been set for the series, though with the cast already in place, filming could begin as soon as this summer.
Stay tuned for more news on Dune: Part 2 and the future of the MonsterVerse.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
