'Dune's release has been delayed until October 2021.

The sci-fi flick had been set for release in December but has now been pushed back due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. It is the latest blockbuster to be delayed by the global health crisis, as the James Bond movie 'No Time To Die' was recently put on hold once again until April 2021.

'Dune' had been due to open on December 18 but the release of 'Wonder Woman 1984' was moved to Christmas Day which complicated things. The pandemic has made studios reluctant to put movies out in cinemas due to audiences staying away, Collider reports.

The project is a remake of the 1984 film and is based on the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. Denis Villeneuve is directing the movie, which features an all-star cast including Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson and Zendaya.

Denis previously compared Timothee's character, Paul Atreides, to Al Pacino's mob boss Michael Corleone in 'The Godfather' trilogy, as the pair are both groomed for roles that they do not want.

The 53-year-old director said: "Paul has been raised in a very strict environment with a lot of training, because he's the son of a Duke and one day ... he's training to be a Duke.

"But as much as he's been prepared and trained for that role, is it really what he dreams to be? That's the contradiction of the character.

"It's like Michael Corleone in 'The Godfather' – it's someone that has a very tragic fate and he will become something that he was not wishing to become."