Denis Villeneuve

The creators of longtime survival MMO Conan Exiles – Funcom – have just shown off the upcoming Dune: Awakening, so it’s time for us to delve into some release date speculation, as well as taking a look at the pre-order situation, gameplay details and a trailer to cap it all off.

A creative Destiny 2 player has expressed their appreciation for the latest Dune film with a set of custom armor inspired by House Harkonnen soldiers seen in one of the film's most iconic scenes. Theirs is part of a new wave of custom Destiny 2 costumes replicating the looks of Harkonnen soldiers and characters like the Baron, Rabban, and Feyd-Rautha.

No one is surprised that Dune: Part Two has turned into one of 2024’s biggest movies. Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster sequel is full of bona fide movie stars, and it’s excellent to boot. What did come as a surprise, however, is that the movie’s AMC Theatres promotional popcorn bucket got almost as much buzz as the movie itself in the weeks before release. The sandworm-shaped bucket that lets patrons reach into the worm’s maw for a handful of popcorn is incredible, unique, and vaguely off-putting in a way that took the internet by storm the instant it appeared online.

Greetings, Polygon readers! Each week, we round up the most notable new releases to streaming and VOD, highlighting the biggest and best new movies for you to watch at home.

Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures have set Premium Digital Ownership and 4K UHD release dates for Denis Villeneuve’s .

It's official – Dune 3 is in development. Dune: Part Two has proved a huge success so far, crossing the $600 million mark at the box office and surpassing the first film's total, so it's perhaps not a huge surprise. 

Thufir Hawat played a major role in Denis Villeneuve's 2021 blockbuster hit Dune, but has since disappeared from the narrative. Recent revelations from a board game may offer insight into his fate.

Dune has had its fair share of adaptation attempts. Denis Villeneuve and David Lynch brought Frank Herbert's sci-fi novel to the big screen in 2021 and 1984, respectively, while Ridley Scott and Alejandro Jodorowsky also made their own efforts that never came to fruition. 

In 1974, my aunt and uncle returned to the United States from a honeymoon world tour. Over the course of their travels, they ventured through India, Afghanistan, Iran, and Turkey, before winding up in Israel, where my aunt’s sister — my mother — had recently lived for two years on a collective kibbutz.

In a repeat from last weekend, the animated adventure Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two led the box office, per Deadline. Both movies maintained their strong performance, with Panda experiencing only a 48% decline, accumulating $30 million in its second weekend and reaching a domestic total of $107.7 million. Meanwhile, Dune saw a 37% drop, earning $29.1 million in its third weekend and bringing its domestic total to $205.3 million.

Dune: Part Twois the biggest movie of the year so far, and TikTok has latched onto every aspect — from Stilgar attributing everything as proof that Paul is the messiah to the appreciation for sandworms. The platform boasts a mix of explainers, jokes, and skits reinterpreting scenes from Dune: Part Two.But one final moment between Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen has surprisingly taken off.

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies can seem like a rebuke to Hollywood’s quip era. They are as far as you can get from the Marvel rule that no situation is so grave, no stakes so high that they can’t be punctuated by a smart, self-aware gag. These are solemn, earnest movies, modeled on classical cinematic epics like Lawrence of Arabia and intent on delivering the bizarre visions of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi books in as straight-faced a manner as possible.

The domestic box office received a nice shot in the arm this weekend thanks to Kung Fu Panda 4 and Dune: Part Two, which helped propel business 13% over last year, per Deadline. DreamWorks Animation’s fourth entry in the long-running franchise featuring the voice of Jack Black got off to a hot start, earning $55 million in its debut week. This makes it the second-highest opening for Po and Co., trailing only the original Panda’s $60M opening in 2008. That film earned $631M worldwide, followed by Kung Fu Panda 2’s $664M and Kung Fu Panda 3’s $521M. How high can Po fly? With an A- CinemaScore, on par with the original, there’s a chance this one legs out to solid worldwide numbers.

Visually, looks like it's set in the world of Denis Villeneuve's movie adaptations, with the studio behind these films, Legendary, having shared assets with the development team at Funcom, as well as inviting them on set. Despite this, the game's story has made at least one massive change from the book and the movies that could have major consequences going forward.

Denis Villeneuve’s planned trilogy of Dune movies is unmistakably focused on telling the story of Paul Atreides, as played by Timothée Chalamet. But just because it’s Paul’s story doesn’t mean he’s the main character of all of the movies. In fact, one of the cleverest, most effective methods Villeneuve uses to show us Paul’s journey in Dune: Part Two is by subtly shifting the Freman warrior Chani (Zendaya) from her initial role as narrator and love interest into the movie’s main character. And Zendaya is one of the few actors who could actually pull that off.

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two film wormed its way through theaters over the weekend, and if you’ve still got sand in the brain, there’s plenty more where that came from. Namely, Funcom shared a closer look at the upcoming Dune: Awakening survival game, which is in the works for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC.

Denis Villeneuve’smovie adaptations of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel, Dune, has become a cultural and commercial hit. That’s big for Team Hollywood, but I still have a hard time believing that Dune has done more for movies than it has for video games — so long as you ignore the kerfuffle over whether it influenced Star Wars.

As promised last week, Funcom has released a new stunning trailer for Dune Awakening while also talking about the making of the survival MMO in a separate feature as part of their Direct-like showcase. Chief Creative Officer Joel Bylos discussed the game's basics and the back-and-forth with Legendary, who allowed them to go on the set of the first movie and even borrow assets:

Following the early box office success of , as well as its critically acclaim, many are wondering whether or not Dune 3 is in the pipeline.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune 2 has taken the world by storm, and one cosplayer decided to celebrate the film’s release in the most unique way possible.

Funcom and Nukklear GmbH have released a new, previewing the upcoming open-world action survival MMO game currently in development.

A presentation for Dune: Awakening has explained why developer Funcom chose Unreal Engine 5 to craft its open-world survival MMO. The Dune: Awakening Direct comes shortly following the release of Dune: Part Two, the highly anticipated sequel to Denis Villeneuve's film adaptation of Frank Herbert's titular novel.

I stepped out of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two burdened by a heavy existential question: Am I the sort of person who would drink sandworm piss in exchange for supernatural foresight? Maybe you can help me decide.

The Bene Gesserit are masters of intrigue in the Dune novels, executing millennia-long schemes that involve manipulating the Emperor and Great Houses, seeding prophecies, and breeding a chosen one. Writer-director Denis Villeneuve shows off their mysterious power and the scope of their influence in his movie adaptations of theDunebooks, but author Frank Herbert spent a lot more time exploring and explaining how the organization actually works — particularly in his last two novels, which are unlikely to ever be adapted for the screen.

Following the theatrical debut of last Friday, it has been confirmed that Watchmen star Tim Blake Nelson’s mystery character didn’t make it into the final cut of the sequel.

Dune: Part Two director has revealed which character he found most painful to cut out of the massive sequel.

Developer Funcom provided a new look at Dune: Awakening, an upcoming open-world survival MMO game. The new trailer and deep dive into Dune: Awakening comes just days after the opening of the Dune: Part Two film in theaters. The roughly 25-minute presentation gives fans a look at some of the core features coming to the game based on Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel, including base-building, combat, and traversal.

Upcoming survival MMO will let players attempt to make it on their own on Arrakis, the most dangerous planet in the galaxy. The title comes from Funcom, a developer that's no stranger to the online multiplayer genre, with previous releases like and. recently attended a special event for the game hosted by Funcom's creative director Joel Bylos, which featured a premiere of a new trailer and a showcase segment delving into the game's development.

A new trailer for has been revealed by Funcom, alongside a featurette on how the studio has adapted Arrakis for its Open World Survival MMO title. was revealed back in 2022 as part of Gamescom Opening Night Live, but since then, there hasn't been much information surrounding the title.

Perhaps you saw Dune: Part 2 this weekend and now you’re wondering, how do I recreate the experience of IMAX speakers vibrating my cerebrospinal fluid? Or maybe you couldn’t get tickets until the end of March, so you need an auditory appetizer ASAP. Whatever the case, if you’re deep into Dune, I recommend the killer vinyl records for both Dune: Part 1and Part 2 that, when combined, span a whopping seven LPs.

As expected, the highly anticipated (and magnificent) Dune: Part Two went gangbusters at the global box office, raking in $81.5 million domestically and $178.5M worldwide, per Deadline. The big-budget sequel instantly becomes the biggest film of 2024 worldwide, trumping The Beekeeper’s $151M global tally, and will easily overcome Bob Marley: One Love ($82.7M) as the top domestic earner of the year.

Dune: Part Two director has revealed that he has quite a few projects on the table, including a time-sensitive secret one.

Dune: Part 2 is finally in theaters, and we hope you enjoy it as much as we did (grab extra napkins if you’re buying the themed popcorn bucket). If you’re indulging in the second part of the Denis Villeneuve-directed saga and want even more ways to engage with the Dune universe, we’ve uncovered some awesome deals that pay homage to the house of Herbert. For example, you can currently pick up a comprehensive collection of core rulebooks and supplementary materials for the Dune: Adventures in the Imperium TTRPG from Modiphius for just $18 at Humble. You can also find discounted hardcover and paperback box sets of the Dune books at Amazon.

Like Dune before it, Dune: Part Two is a feast for the eyes. But even in a movie full of tantalizing visuals, there’s one scene that stands apart: the starkly glowing Harkonnen arena.

Although women played an important role in 2021's sci-fi epic Dune, in this year's sequel Dune: Part Two they take center stage, with the second half of director Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's groundbreaking sci-fi novel placing a greater focus on the female characters. Whilst the first movie arguably has only one three-dimensional female figure in Rebecca Ferguson's Lady Jessica, this time things are different. Take Zendaya's returning character Chani, who has gone from barely any screen time to arguably being the beating heart of the whole story. In fact, director Villeneuve described her as his "secret weapon" when it came to making this chapter, seeing Chani as the key to unlocking this tale and honoring Herbert's original intentions.

Director Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi films have “always looked incredible,” we wrote in our review of Dune: Part Two, and if you feel quite the same way, you’re definitely going to want to put your eyeballs on The Art and Soul of Dune: Part Two.

Dune: Part Two is all about the rise of Paul “Muad’dib” Atreides, but that doesn’t mean it tells his whole story. If you’ve already seen the movie, or have heard that there are another seven books in the series, you probably know that there’s a lot more story left to tell. The good news is, you won’t have to wait for director Denis Villeneuve to return to the series to continue the tale.

Looking forward to Dune: Part Two, but having trouble remembering some character names? Not sure what separates a Kwisatz Haderach from a gom jabbar? We know for a fact that Dune: Part Two is not going to help you out. But we can!

Fans are wondering if got a new haircut. Did she cut her hair short? Here is everything you need to know about the Friends star’s latest haircut.

This afternoon, Funcom announced the first in a series of Dune Awakening Direct showcases. Slated to go live on Monday, March 4 at 6 PM CET (noon Eastern Time, 9 AM Pacific Time) on Twitch and YouTube, it'll be hosted by Soe Gschwind and include new footage of the open world survival MMO. Fans will be treated to the Gameplay Reveal Trailer and a featurette titled Creating Worlds, from Book to Film to Game.

It looks like Guardians of the Galaxy star Dave Bautista could one day return to the MCU, but only if a bigger and better role is offered to him. 

Fans are wondering if auditioned to play in the. If yes, then why the Reacher star did not join the? Here is all you need to know.

While promoting last year’s Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, Marvel vet stated that he will no longer return to the Marvel Cinematic Universe as Drax the Destroyer after James Gunn’s final installment to the blockbuster superhero franchise.

The world of Dune is a wild one. On any given day you’ve got clairvoyant sisterhoods poking your neck, giant spicy worms, and Javier Bardem spitting on your floor — and I haven’t even started on the really weird stuff. Capturing the tone and flavor of this eccentric setting isn’t easy, and while I’m not opposed to getting a lengthy monologue from Virginia Madsen, the right audio direction can do a better job of laying the groundwork for a sci-fi epic. And music has always played an important role in the various adaptations of Frank Herbert’s Dune universe across movies, TV, and games.

Most tabletop role-playing games place their epic storylines more or less entirely in the hands of the players at the table. Their choices open up a myriad of opportunities and branching paths for their own private games, each presenting a unique experience that changes at every turn. Dune: Fall of the Imperium takes a different approach. Just as in Frank Herbert’s novels — and in Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming film, Dune: Part Two — House Atreides will fall. Muad’dib will rise, bringing the Jihad with him. The only question asked in Modiphius’ lavishly illustrated new expansion is if you and your house will weather the storm and come out on the other side as a major player in the new galactic regime, or if you will misplay your hand and fall into ruin like so many houses before you.

Prime Video has tapped Shogun director Jonathan van Tulleken to helm the first two episodes of Blade Runner 2099.

After the blockbuster sequel was pushed out of 2023 and into this year, Dune 2's release is almost here. Hitting cinemas on March 1, you likely don't need me to tell you that the hype for the next chapter in Denis Villeneuve's retelling of the iconic story is finally here. Less than two weeks more to wait, and whether you want to celebrate in more ways than one, or 11 more days is still too long to wait, there's a range of Dune 2 Funko Pops available now.

Greetings, Polygon readers!

It’s only been three years since Daniel Craig's last hurrah as James Bond in No Time to Die, but rumors about his successor and what’s in the works for the next set of films have been swirling ever since. Unfortunately, the search for a new James Bond actor may not have progressed as fans hoped.

The Dune: Part Two cast might have had some awkward moments during the film’s press tour, but thank goodness Zendaya is here to set things right. Fans have had high expectations for fashion at the string of press events, and she has not failed meet them. In fact, she might have just worn her best outfit yet for world premiere of the film in London on Thursday.

In a surprise reveal, Anya Taylor-Joy made an appearance at the world premiere of Dune 2, hosted in London – and in the process confirmed rumors that she has a role in the sci-fi sequel. 

If you thought the cast for Dune was stacked then wait until you see the sequel, with several big names joining the all-star line-up for the highly anticipated Part Two. One of these is none other than Florence Pugh, the Oscar-nominated star of hit films including Little Women, Oppenheimer, and Don't Worry Darling. 

The first reactions for Dune 2 are in and the sci-fi epic is being called director Denis Villeneuve's "magnum opus" - with special praise for the leading performances from Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.

With his Dune movies, director Denis Villeneuve is trying to do what even Frank Herbert couldn’t: make Paul Atreides a villain

Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve has revealed why we won't see any deleted scenes from his upcoming sci-fi sequel – even though the finished movie clocks in at two hours and 46 minutes, there are over four hours of footage. 

Microsoft Flight Simulator's free Dune expansion is available now. It features the Royal Atreides Ornithopter from Denis Villeneuve's movies - with this entire DLC being a marketing tie-in with Dune: Part Two, which releases next month. It includes tutorials, time trials, and a "daring rescue mission".

Microsoft has unveiled a unique Xbox controller that seemingly floats in the air, together with a special-edition Series S console, both styled after Dune. The debut of this distinct duo of Xbox devices coincides with the release of a Dune-themed expansion for Microsoft Flight Simulator.

Dune: Part Two, the sequel to Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 sci-fi epic, is nearly upon us. In the lead-up to the film’s highly anticipated release on March 1, Microsoft and Xbox Game Studios announced the arrival of Paul Atreides’ Ornithopter and the desert plains of Arrakis in Microsoft Flight Simulator in a free expansion.

We’ve found an excellent deal for anyone looking to dive into the sands of Arrakis ahead of the theatrical debut of Dune: Part Two on Mar. 1. Right now, Amazon is offering discounts on virtually every book in the Dune franchise, including box sets, as well as the excellent, award-winning graphic novel adaptation. As an added bonus, if you purchase three participating books from this sale, Amazon will knock 50% off the cheapest eligible item in your cart (this promotion also works on Blu-rays and video games!). Below, you’ll find just a handful of selections from this Shai’hulud-sized sale.

The Dune: Awakening team has opened up its TikTok account and given a few nuggets of info about the upcoming survival MMO. The video, which was also shared via Funcom on other social platforms, gives a few details against some clips.

What are the biggest movies coming in 2024? Surprisingly, there aren't as many superhero films gracing theatres this year, with DC Studios preparing to launch just one, Joker: Folie à Deux, a sequel to Todd Phillips' grounded Batman universe, introducing a new player into the mix. On the Marvel side, we've got four movies — Kraven the Hunter, Deadpool 3, Venom 3, and Madame Web — all suffered shifting release dates due to the Hollywood labour strikes. Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two was another major casualty of the strikes. Originally set to debut in November last year, it got pushed into March when the actors' union barred its star-studded cast — featuring the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh — from promotional duties and interviews.

As if we weren’t excited enough for Dune Part 2, Timothée Chalamet (Wonka) and Austin Butler (Elvis) went head to head in Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 to show off their new in-game skins — and we’ve got the lowdown on how to get their CoD MW3 Operator bundles.

The has been revealed, hinting at the longest movie in director Denis Villeneuve’s filmography so far.

Dune: Part Two might be delayed, but it's still going to be pretty long.

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and its Warzone component kicked off its Season 1 multiplayer today, marking its first major update since launch. The former gets three new maps as part of its 24/7 playlist, in addition to a 6v6 arena set in Rio, which will be available later in the season. As usual, there are some rewards for racking up kills without dying, granting players an EMP upon getting a 13 killstreak and the ability to summon mosquito swarms as cover on a 15 killstreak. There's also a new perk called the Assassin Vest, which makes players immune to UAV scans and doesn't pop skulls on the minimap upon performing an execution.

Gear up squad, we’re going to Arrakis. Activision has revealed skins for its operators revolving around the upcoming Dune: Part Two for Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 3 and Warzone Season One.

The Dune: Part Two release date has been changed yet again, but now it will arrive in theaters sooner than previously delayed.

Even though its release was delayed by over a year on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, Denis Villeneuve’s Dunewas both a critical and a commercial success. So too, it seems, was Dire Wolf Digital’s ambitious board game Dune: Imperium. When Polygon reviewed it in early 2020, we called out its easy-to-learn deck-building mechanics and its lightning-fast pace. Since that time, the game has gone on to achieve an excellent reputation among fans of strategy board games, and it’s been supplemented by multiple excellent expansions. So what’s up with this sequel, Dune: Imperium — Uprising?

A Lego Dune set based on the new movies is heading our way.

LEGO Icons Dune Atreides Royal Ornithopter, revealed on Tuesday, is a loving recreation of the dragonfly-esque vehicles used in Frank Herbert’s seminal science fiction series as brought to life in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One and upcoming Dune: Part Two. When its 1,369 pieces are brought together into a two-and-a-half foot-long build, it features aircraft blades that flap, retract, and rotate through 180 degrees of motion, as well as movable landing gear.

Austin Butler has spoken out about the "pressure" he felt playing the villainous Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Two – which coincides with the sci-fi sequel's original release date before it was hit with delays.

director Fede Álvarez has shown a cut of the movie to, and he seems pretty happy with it. Going so far as to say ”It’s f—ing great”.

The Halloween season is finally here, and that means we’ve got a whole slew of new movies and television to watch — spooktacular or otherwise. Whether you’re following along with our yearly countdown calendar or looking for the best horror movies on Netflix or other streaming services, we’ve got you covered. Aside from those, there’s a ton of exciting new films arriving on streaming this month.

Good news, everyone: It’s a busy week of new movies to watch at home.

Sicario 3 is still in development, according to the movie's producers – and Benicio del Toro is definitely back in the lead role. 

Happy September, Polygon readers!

Happy fall, Polygon readers! September is upon us, and that means it’s time time to dust off your favorite sweater and dapple a little pumpkin spice in your morning coffee. We’ve got a whole slew of new movies, television and books to look forward to in the coming weeks and months, not to mention all the exciting new films arriving on streaming this month.

A set photographer’s job can be daunting.

Denis Villeneuve has spoken before about a potential, but the director recently confirmed that he has actually begun writing some of what could be a third movie in the franchise.

Dune: Part Two has been delayed. The second of Denis Villeneuve’s Frank Herbert adaptations has been pushed back several months due in large part to the ongoing strike against the AMPTP by the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild. The movie’s new release date will be March 15, 2024.