Sci-Fi Epic Dune Has Been Delayed Until October 22

Fans who were anxiously awaiting the theatrical release of the Denis Villeneuve adaptation of Dune are unfortunately going to need to be a little more patient, as Variety is reporting that it has now been pushed back to October 22. Before this latest announcement, it was previously set for October 1.

Of course, the start of October was itself the date the movie landed on following its original hopeful release in 2020. But if the pandemic and its many world-shaking impacts in entertainment has taught audiences anything, it’s to not trust that these sorts of delays are set in stone. Dune alone had its release date pushed back multiple times last year, and while there have been a few cases where release dates were pushed up–it’s gonna be hard to predict what will happen with this sci-fi epic. For what it’s worth, Dune’s shuffling was part of an announcement relating to other titles also moving around.

Dune’s cast is stacked with big names like Timothee Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Jason Momoa, and Stellan Skarsgard. The movie commands a lot of hype–Villeneuve previously directed the acclaimed sci-fi films Arrival and Blade Runner 2049.

While expectations and hopes are high for this interpretation of the classic 1965 Frank Herbert novel, it has also been buffeted with its share of speed bumps aside from when it will simply come out. In December, when it was announced that Dune would premiere on streaming service HBO Max, both Villeneuve and Kyle MacLachlan (star of the 1984 David Lynch adaptation) condemned the decision. Surrounding this, there is a swirling skepticism from fans of the book that all its complexity can even be adapted to the screen. We all still have many more months to wait before any of us will know for sure.