Abu Dhabi to host Middle East premiere of Dune: Part Two with director and stars to attend

UAE capital rolling out the red carpet for Denis Villeneuve, Josh Brolin and Dave Bautista

Timothee Chalamet returns as the main protagonist in Dune: Part Two. Photo: Warner Bros Pictures

Abu Dhabi is hosting the Middle East premiere of Dune: Part Two.

The regional premiere of the film will take place on February 18 at Vox Cinemas at The Galleria Al Maryah Island with director Denis Villeneuve and stars Josh Brolin and Dave Bautista set to attend the red carpet event.

“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,” said creative media authority acting director general Mohamed Dobay.

“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.”

Major scenes for the sequel were shot in the UAE capital in 2022, with the film’s star Timothee Chalamet sharing pictures from the Empty Quarter after it concluded.

The cast and crew stayed at the luxury desert resort Anantara Qasr Al Sarab. Dune: Part Two also had on-location shooting in Budapest, Italy and Jordan.

Sam Kozhaya, executive vice president of operations and corporate development at Legendary Entertainment and the producer of Dune, spoke with Abu Dhabi film commissioner Hans Fraikin during the 2022 Culture Summit Abu Dhabi.

“Abu Dhabi was an essential partner for us in the success of Dune,” Kozhaya said at the time. “They were a key contributor in the success and the 10 Oscar nominations, the six Oscar wins.”

Dune is based on the 1965 novel by Frank Herbert and follows the young, noble Atreides and his family as they are thrust into violence and political warfare over the inhospitable planet Arrakis.

The first film ended on a cliff hanger with the story’s resolution set to conclude in the second film.

The film stars Chalamet in the lead role, alongside Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling and Stephen McKinley Henderson.

New additions to the sequel’s cast include Austin Butler, Christopher Walken, Florence Pugh, Souheila Yacoub and Lea Seydoux.

Dune: Part Two will be released in UAE cinemas on February 29