Calling all Dune fans. Gear up for a generous dose of star spotting.
Abu Dhabi will host the Middle East premiere of 'Dune: Part Two' on February 18 at the Vox cinemas, The Galleria, Al Maryah Island. Filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and stars Josh Brolin and Dave Bautista, who filmed portions of the fantasy epic in the UAE capital, will walk the red carpet and greet fans ahead of the screening.
'Dune: Part Two' is Villeneuve’s adaptation of the 1965 novel Dune by Frank Herbert, picking up where Dune left off. It stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Souheila Yacoub, with Stellan Skarsgård, with Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem.
The film continues the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he must prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.
“Hosting the Middle East premiere of Dune: Part Two is an honour for Abu Dhabi and is also a reflection of the position the emirate holds as one of MENA’s top film and TV locations. We are proud to have supported an incredibly successful filming franchise once again. The fact that producers and directors seek to return to Abu Dhabi demonstrates how we have everything filmmakers need to facilitate and contribute to award-winning global productions," said Mohamed Dobay, Creative Media Authority Acting Director General, in a statement.
Set in the distant future, 'Dune: Part Two' features the sweeping sand dunes of Abu Dhabi’s Liwa desert as the landscape of the iconic and important desert planet Arrakis. Scenes were captured at just under 20 locations across the Liwa desert during the winter 2022 and a team of 300 local, 250 international crew and 500 extras were used during the 27-day shoot.
Abu Dhabi Film Commission (ADFC) and Epic films facilitated the production through a range of logistical support, including providing vehicles and constructing tents and camps for costume rooms, sets, canteens, and production equipment storage.
“We were delighted to support Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptations of the novel Dune and to provide around 20 Liwa desert locations as Arrakis. Combining expert on-the-ground knowledge, location diversity, highly experienced local talent and know-how, competitive rebate and world-class facilities, a premiere moment really does provide the opportunity for all of our partners and service providers to see the culmination of all our efforts, not to mention showcase to future international productions on the ease of bringing their vision to life in Abu Dhabi," said Sameer Al Jaberi, Head of Abu Dhabi Film Commission in a statement.
Dune and Dune: Part Two are among more than 150 major productions that have used Abu Dhabi as a location in recent years. Films including 'Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One', 'Mission: Impossible – Fallout', 'Star Wars: The Force Awakens', '6 Underground and Furious 7', as well as Bollywood hits such as 'Vikram Vedha', 'Tiger Zinda Hai' and 'Bharat'.
Dune: Part Two will release in the UAE and Lebanon theatres on February 29. In other markets in the region, the film is scheduled for an Eid release on April 11.
