In an interview with Deadline at the Producers Guild of America Awards, Dune director Denis Villeneuve teased, among other things, that Dune: Part Two is “going to be another beautiful journey into the desert.” He added that, “It’s a movie that will be more cinematic.” Dune won Best Film at the PGA Awards later that night and is nominated for 10 Oscars, including Best Picture, to be announced this Sunday at the ceremony. For a film so praised for its beautiful aesthetic and expert cinematography, it’s a wonder how it can be topped.

Villeneuve continued to say, “It’s the journey where Paul Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica, make contact with the Fremen culture and meet with the Fremen,” The filmmaker teased about Part Two. “It’s Paul’s journey against the enemy.”

Deadline has previously reported that Mary Parent, Oscar-nominated producer of Dune, hinted that a fall shoot for the sequel is likely. Villeneuve also confirmed in an interview with Collider that, “The screenplay is finished mostly… My crew, we are in full prep for the movie.”All of the pieces seem to be coming together for the film’s production to ramp up soon.

When asked about Florence Pugh’s rumored casting as Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter, Villeneuve vaguely agreed that “There’s been rumors.” Austin Butler has also been rumored to be in talks to play Feyd-Rautha, the nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. For now, the official castings and production timeline remains rumored, but it’s only a matter of time before production ramps up to meet the October 2023 release date.