Warner Bros. sets 'Dune' sequel for 2023 after strong box office opening

New York(CNN Business) The Dune story continues.

Warner Bros. announced on Tuesday that "Dune: Part Two," the sequel to this weekend's No. 1 film, will hit theaters in two years. The movie is set to be released on October 20, 2023.

The first installment of "Dune," a science-fiction epic starring Timothée Chalamet, notched an estimated $40.1 million at the North American box office this weekend — exceeding expectations of $30 million. It marks the biggest opening for Warner Bros. this year. (Warner Bros. and CNN are both owned by WarnerMedia.)

"Dune" has made $220 million globally so far.

The strong opening for "Dune" was even more impressive considering the film was also streaming on HBO Max — meaning audiences could have skipped theaters altogether and watched at home.

Legendary Entertainment, which produced the film, tweeted the announcement on Twitter (TWTR) saying, "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," it said. "We're excited to continue the journey!"