'Dune: Part Two' to be more action-packed, fast-moving: director

The American epic sci-fi film "Dune," which grossed $402 million worldwide, will hit local theaters in February with its long-awaited sequel.

"Dune" is the film adaptation of Frank Herbert's renowned novel of the same title released on 2021. The film follows the narrative of Paul Atreides -- a young nobleman who rises to command a desert army in a conflict for dominance over the planet's precious resource, Spice.

Denis Villeneuve, the French Canadian film director and writer of "Dune: Part Two," said during a press conference in Seoul on Friday that if the first "Dune" was thought-provoking, the second will be more-action packed and fast-moving in terms of plot. Villeneuve came to visit South Korea this week for an early promotion of "Dune: Part Two," whose release has been delayed to February from November due to the Hollywood actors' strike.

"I wanted to share the universe of 'Dune' with the fans quickly," he told reporters.

He added that "Dune: Part Two" will offer more scenes suitable to the IMAX cinematic format.

"Only 30 to 40 percent of part one of 'Dune' was shot in IMAX cinematic format, but the second part of 'Dune' mostly took place in the desert, and most of the film was shot in IMAX format," Villeneuve said.

"The film will be more immersive. The advantage of IMAX is that because of the size of the screen, audience can directly experience a huge natural scenery and interact with actors. I tried to find a balance between such vastness and intimacy."

When asked about the possibility of a part three, Villeneuve said he is planning a screenplay for the film, but the work is yet to be completed.

"I don't know when I'll be filming (part three). I've been directing 'Dune' for so long that it is possible I can do other works first. My ultimate goal and dream is to complete part three of this universe," he said.

Villeneuve said he felt a heavy sense of responsibility turning such a beloved novel into a movie. Dune is one of the bestselling sci-fi novels in history. It won the inaugural Nebula Award for Best Novel and the Hugo Award in 1966, and was subsequently turned into a film in 1984, a television miniseries in 2000, and a film in 2021.

"Some fans may like (the movie), but there may be many fans who do not. The novel can be interpreted in many ways. The novel can be made into a film 15 years later, again. That's how much the novel leaves space for interpretation," he said.