A sequel to Dune has been officially announced after the new film earned over $40million at the US box office in its opening weekend.

• READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve on ‘Dune’: “I stayed away from the David Lynch movie”

Directed by Denis Villenueve, Dune was officially billed as ‘Part One’ of a duology – despite a sequel not being greenlit by studios Legendary and Warner Bros ahead of its release.

After a successful opening weekend, earning over $223million globally (via Forbes), a sequel has now been officially announced for a theatrical release in October 2023, with Villeneuve returning at the helm.

In a statement (via Deadline), Villeneuve said: “I just received news from Legendary that we are officially moving forward with Dune: Part Two. It was a dream of mine to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune and I have the fans, the cast, and crew, Legendary and Warner Bros. to thank for supporting this dream. This is only the beginning.”

This is only the beginning…

Thank you to those who have experienced @dunemovie so far, and those who are going in the days and weeks ahead. We're excited to continue the journey! pic.twitter.com/mZj68Hnm0A

— Legendary (@Legendary) October 26, 2021

Toby Emmerich, chairman at Warner Bros. Picture Group, said: “Denis Villeneuve has crafted a film that is both visually extraordinary and emotionally transporting, as evidenced by its global success both critically and at the box office.

“We are thrilled to continue on this journey with Denis and his cast and crew, and our partners at Legendary, and can’t wait to bring the next chapter of this epic tale to theaters in October 2023.”

Dune, which concludes at the halfway point of the novel, stars Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Zendaya, Dave Bautista and David Dastmalchian.

In NME’s four-star review, Dune is described as lacking in closure but “the sheer ambition on display here means you get plenty of bang for your buck”.