The rumored world premiere ofDenis Villeneuve’sDuneat the 78th edition of the Venice Film Festival has beenconfirmed on Twitterby La Biennale di Venezia, the organization responsible for the event. By premiering at Venice,Dunewill be screened for a select group of viewers almost one month before its commercial release.
Dunewas initially set to have a hybrid release, hitting both theaters and HBO Max on the same day, just as withGodzilla vs. KongandMortal Kombat. However, with movie theaters reopening and vaccination spreading, WarnerMedia reportedlyreversed the decision, makingDunean exclusive theatrical release. Since then, a Warner executive alreadyclaimed on TwitterDuneis indeed coming to HBO Max at the same time as theaters. As WarnerMedia is currently undergoing amerger with Discovery, things are a little confusing right now, and we’ll need to wait for an official statement regardingDune’s release strategy. Lucky for us, the world premiere at Venice gives us another opportunity to catch the big-budget star-studded adaptation ofFrank Herbert’s sci-fi novel.
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Dune’s cast includesTimothée Chalamet,Rebecca Ferguson,Oscar Isaac,Josh Brolin,Stellan Skarsgård,Dave Bautista,Sharon Duncan Brewster,Stephen McKinley Henderson,Zendaya,Chang Chen,David Dastmalchian, withCharlotte Rampling, withJason Momoa, andJavier Bardem. Villeneuve directs from a screenplay he wrote together withJon SpaihtsandEric Roth.
The 78th Venice International Film Festival will be held from September 1 to 11.Dunewill be shown on September 3 in the Sala Grande at the Palazzo del Cinema on the Lido di Venezia.Dune’s theatrical release is set for October 1. If Dune doesn’t release at HBO Max on the same day, it’ll come to the streaming platform 45 days later.
Check out the world premiere announcement below:
Here’sDune’s official synopsis:
“A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey,Dunetells the story of Paul Atreides (Chalamet), a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.”
