The film is the third adaptation of Dune following David Lynch’s 1984 film, which was a critical and commercial failure, and John Harrison’s 2000 miniseries. After an unsuccessful attempt by Paramount Pictures to produce a new adaptation, Legendary Entertainment acquired the Dune film and TV rights in 2016, with Villeneuve signing on as director in February 2017. The writers incorporated an updated 21st-century sensibility into the script, including increasing the prominence of female characters. Like the two-part film It (2017), production contracts were only secured for the first film, relying on its success before a second film would be greenlit. Filming took place from March to July 2019 at locations including Budapest, Jordan, Norway, and Abu Dhabi.

Dune premiered at the 78th Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2021. Warner Bros. Pictures theatrically released it in 2D, 3D and IMAX internationally on September 15, 2021. It was simultaneously released theatrically and streaming on HBO Max on October 22, 2021. It was generally well received by critics for its visuals, scope, and ambition, and has grossed over $331.1 million worldwide on a production budget of $165 million. A week after its domestic release, Dune: Part Two was confirmed with a planned release in October 2023.