‘Dune’: Writer Jon Spaihts Teases More Spinoffs
Dune is a science fiction media franchise, originated with 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert and later on adapted into 1984 film, a 2000 television miniseries and a 2021 film. The latest, directed by Denis Villeneuve, was extremely well received both by the audience and the critics who praised its visuals, scope and ambition.
Jon Spaihts, who wrote the adaptation, was recently interviewed by The Playlist and has shared some exciting info. When asked about the status of Dune: The Sisterhood, a previously announced spinoff, Spaihts confirmed that the effort is “alive and well”, but has also hinted he is working on some other projects within the franchise and that the investigation of the Dune universe still continues, since the world is “rich” and “ripe with opportunities for storytelling”.
“Oh, that is carrying on and I’m not allowed to talk about it very much. But that effort is alive and well. I ended up getting moved off of it to work, not just on Dune: Part Two, but to investigate other cinematic prospects in the Dune universe, which we are still talking about and which, again, I’m not allowed to say very much about. But it is a very rich world in which to play, and I think it is ripe with opportunities for storytelling in every direction.”
Villeneuve’s adaptation is by far the most successful one, with 1984’s movie being a critical and commercial failure. Over the last few decades, the novel has been regarded by most critics as impossible to realize on film, but Villeneuve, a hardcore novel fan, was confident from the very beginning that he could do it well. When WarnerMedia green-lighted a sequel, he revealed how excited he was and how incredibly happy and proud his younger self would be.
“I’m writing [Part Two] now, and I feel like I’m eight years old again,” he revealed. “That’s very uncommon for me. It’s the first time I’ve experienced it where I’m watching one of my movies, and I have a moment of deep gratitude, of deep joy, and I say, ‘Thank you, life, for having allowed me to bring that to the screen.’ [laughs] I don’t know how other people will feel about it. But me? Denis Villeneuve when he was 14 years old? Thank you.”
Dune: Part Two is said to be released on October 20, 2023.
