The Dune Reboot Suffers Yet Another Delay

More like "the spice must slow," right everyone? "Dune" fans, already having mastered the art of stoic, unflinching patience after more than six months of delays, may feel as if they're being toyed with today, as Warner Bros. has announced yet another release date push for the long-awaited adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic. The film, originally scheduled to premiere in November of 2020, has been rescheduled repeatedly, first to December 18, 2020, then, as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, all the way to October 1, 2021.

Now, according to Variety, Warner Bros. has announced that "Dune's" release date has been moved back yet again. The film's newly revealed debut will come three weeks later than anticipated on October 22, 2021.

Other films tangled up in the WB's newly rearranged schedule include "The Sopranos" prequel "The Many Saints of Newark," the premiere of which has moved from October 8 to October 1, and Clint Eastwood's "Cry Macho," now opening on September 17 instead of October 22. Warner and HBO's year-long experiment with simultaneous theatrical and HBO Max releases will be unaffected by the change.

"Dune's" new schedule change should make for a real barn burner weekend at the box office. The film is now set to open the same day as Edgar Wright's "Last Night in Soho," the presumed final entry in the "Jackass" franchise, and, interestingly, another Timothée Chalamet picture, Wes Anderson's "The French Dispatch."

"Dune" has been one of Warner Bros.' most highly anticipated projects for some time, and fans are anxious to see what director Denis Villeneuve has in store following his visually stunning work on projects like "Blade Runner 2049" and "Arrival." Adding fuel to the anticipatory fire is an all-star cast: Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem are all involved in the project, which fans hope will finally do justice to a science fiction classic which, against all odds, has yet to receive a big screen adaptation that doesn't feature Sting in space underpants.

With any luck, fans won't have to worry too much about any further release date shuffles for "Dune." Fear, after all, is the mind-killer.