Dune 2’s Oscar Predictions: Which Categories It Could Be Nominated In & Win

Denis Villeneuve’s major sci-fi blockbuster Dune: Part Two is hoping to make a major splash at the 2025 Oscars, but how many nominations and wins will it actually get? Frank Herbert’s iconic novel’s return to the big screen turned it into a major awards contender in 2022 thanks to how Villeneuve executed his vision. The result was Dune received 10 Oscar nominations and won six categories. That put significant pressure on Dune 2 to replicate the awards season success of the first film or even surpass it by securing Villeneuve a Best Director nomination.

Thanks to the reception to Dune 2, there is every expectation that the movie will be nominated at the 97th Academy Awards on March 2, 2025. It’s a major box office hit – grossing $714 million worldwide – and well-received by critics and audiences with 92% and 95% scores on Rotten Tomatoes. Although it came out almost exactly one year before the 2025 Oscars, the film has had impressive staying power and still holds up great against other contenders for the predicted 2025 Oscars nominations across all categories. That puts Dune 2 in a good position for some Oscar nominations.

Which Oscars Categories Dune 2 Is Most Likely To Be Nominated In

Dune 2 Should Be A Major Below-The-Line Contender

The best case for Dune 2‘s Oscar nominations is with the below-the-line categories that recognize the more technical and crafts-driven work involved with the film. This is where the majority of Dune‘s Oscar nominations and wins came from, as it secured one of the limited spots in Visual Effects, Production Design, Cinematography, Makeup and Hairstyling, Film Editing, Sound, Costume Design, and Original Score. There is a strong sense that Dune 2 could repeat its predecessor’s success in these categories thanks to the work everyone put into Villeneuve’s blockbuster.

The most likely technical categories that could bring Dune 2 some Oscar nominations are Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, and Best Production Design. These account for four of the original film’s six Oscar wins, and the sequel brought back the majority of the now Oscar-winning teams associated with the first movie. The artistry on display in Dune 2 aligns well with each of these categories so that several people involved with the production have a chance to win another Oscar.

There is also the chance that Dune 2 will give its Makeup and Hairstyling and Costume Design teams another Oscar nomination. While the movie failed to win these categories in 2022, that could change in 2025 if there is enough support for how these teams transformed the cast’s appearances. It would not be a total shock if the movie were nominated again in Film Editing, as editor Joe Walker arguably had a more challenging task with more material and storylines to balance after his Oscar-winning work. A Best Adapted Screenplay nomination is also not outside the realm of possibility.

Which Oscars Categories Dune 2 Won’t Be Nominated In

Hans Zimmer’s Score Has Caused Oscars Controversy

There are several eligible categories that Dune 2 is unlikely to contend for any Oscar nominations, including all the acting categories. Despite how star-studded Dune 2‘s cast is and the great work involved, the movie does not appear to have an inside track to bringing someone into the four major acting categories. That is not stopping those involved from doing what is necessary to try and sneak into the race.

Warner Bros. is campaigning for Timothée Chalamet in Best Actor, but he is more likely to be nominated for A Complete Unknown this year. The studio is also forgoing a chance to earn a Best Actress nomination by pushing Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Florence Pugh in Best Supporting Actress. As for Best Supporting Actor, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin are the studio’s best hopes. However, none of these actors are expected to snag one of the five available slots in each category.

The biggest category that Dune 2 might not be nominated in that most would be expecting is Best Original Score. Hans Zimmer’s work in the first film won him an Oscar, and he delivered another outstanding score for the sequel. However, he was originally left out of WB’s Four Your Consideration campaign due to an Oscars rule that mandates a score “must consist of more than 80% newly composed music which does not contain any pre-existing themes borrowed from previous scores in the franchise.” It was then declared ineligible for the 2025 Oscars, which caused a stir.

The attention given to Hans Zimmer’s Dune 2 score being ineligible for an Oscar nomination led WB and Villeneuve to reconsider their options. As of October 30, 2024, the studio updated its FYC page to include Zimmer for Best Original Score and officially submitted the score for consideration with the Academy’s Music Branch. Villeneuve shared his hopes with Variety, saying, “I don’t think this is over yet…” when talking about Zimmer’s chances to be nominated. But, it still appears to be an uphill battle for Dune 2 to change the narrative surrounding whether Zimmer’s score should be eligible.

Will Dune 2 Be Nominated For Best Picture At The 2025 Oscars?

The Original Dune Was A Best Picture Nominee

There is the question of whether Dune 2 will be among the ten Best Picture nominees at the 2025 Oscars. This is somewhat expected since Dune was nominated for Best Picture, even though it lost to CODA. As of this moment, there is still a strong belief that Dune 2 will be among the final lineup of nominees. It is among the year’s best films and should have the support from several below-the-line nominations to have the necessary résumé of a Best Picture nominee.

It’s also worth noting that the 2025 Best Picture race is very flexible at this point. There are significant contenders from smaller productions like Anora, Conclave, Emilia Pérez, and The Brutalist that are likely still in a stronger spot to secure a nomination than Dune 2. However, the movie would appear to have more support than other high-budget Oscar contenders like Gladiator II. Since there is a guarantee that ten movies will be nominated for Best Picture, the odds of Dune 2 getting one of those slots are favorable.

Will Denis Villeneuve Get A Best Director Oscar Nomination For Dune 2

Villeneuve Was Snubbed With The First Movie

Denis Villeneuve’s chances of an Oscar nomination for Best Director is arguably the biggest uncertainty hanging over Dune 2‘s Oscars narrative. He was thought to be a strong contender for a nomination in 2022 from the first film, but he was surprisingly left off the final list of nominees. That built a narrative that Villeneuve was snubbed, giving him even more support online to get a nomination with Dune 2. Even Josh Brolin joked he’ll retire from acting if Villeneuve doesn’t get a Best Director Oscar nomination this time.

The reality is that Villeneuve’s Best Director Oscar nomination odds depend on a variety of factors. He’s already been nominated in the category once before thanks to Arrival, but the predicted race for 2025 is up in the air. There’s certainly a world where Villeneuve is nominated for Best Director, especially if Ridley Scott can’t crack the lineup with Gladiator II. In that instance, he’d need to overtake presumed frontrunners like Sean Baker (Anora) and Jacques Audiard (Emilia Pérez) to actually win.

However, there’s also a chance that the Academy holds off on recognizing Villeneuve in this fashion now that its confirmed he’s doing Dune 3. Just as the Oscars left Peter Jackson out for the middle chapter of his Lord of the Rings trilogy, Villeneuve could meet a similar outcome with his second Dune movie. The major difference here is that Jackson was nominated for The Fellowship of the Ring, whereas Villeneuve has yet to be recognized for his directing within the Dune franchise.

Final Prediction: Dune 2 Will Be Nominated For 9 Oscars

But It Will Only Win 3 Oscars

Based on the current state of the 2025 Oscars race, I predict that Dune 2 will receive nine Oscar nominations. These will come in Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, Best Cinematography, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Costume Design, Best Production Design, Best Makeup and Hairstyling, and Best Film Editing. The momentum doesn’t seem to be there for Villeneuve to get in for Best Director at this point, and the eligibility concerns of Hans Zimmer’s score should keep it out of Best Original Score – even as the studio pushes for a different outcome.

While nine Oscar nominations would only put Dune 2 one nomination behind the original film, it might struggle to match its amount of wins. Right now, it seems most likely that Dune 2 will only win three Oscars. The categories it could plausibly win at the moment are Best Sound, Best Visual Effects, and Best Cinematography. Wicked could steal some of Dune 2‘s thunder with Makeup and Hairstyling, Costume Design, and Production Design. Meanwhile, Anora could handle Best Picture and Best Film Editing, as some other contenders could take Adapted Screenplay.

This result might make Dune 2 a less successful film at the Oscars than the original, but that does not make this predicted performance a disappointment. It should still be one of the biggest winners of the Academy Awards, and it’s already received plenty of notoriety for other factors. Any Oscar nominations and wins Dune: Part Two gets is a bonus, even if it deserves widespread recognition from Academy voters.