Director Denis Villeneuve envisioned his full Dune story as a trilogy of films, and he’s been working on the third chapter in the franchise, Dune: Messiah, which is the second book in Frank Herbert’s series.
The filmmaker recently talked about the third film saying it’s “being written right now. The screenplay is almost finished, but it is not finished. It will take a little time. There’s a dream of making a third movie… it would make absolute sense to me.”
Hollywood insider Jeff Sneider now reporting that Warner Bros. has already given a third film the greenlight, and it may end up being released sometime in 2027. He said:
“I’m already hearing rumblings that WB is so bullish on Villeneuve’s vision for Dune that ‘Part Three’ has already been greenlit with a 2027 release date in mind. WB sees Part Two as a home run, and internally, I’m hearing the studio is already projecting an opening north of $100 million. That may be optimistic, but given the trailer above, hardly out of the question.”
I think it was safe to assume that Villeneuve was going to get to make his third Dune movie. The filmmaker Previously discussed his plans for a third movie, saying, “There is Dune’s second book, The Messiah of Dune, which could make an extraordinary film. I always saw that there could be a trilogy; after that, we’ll see. It’s years of work; I can’t think of going further than that.”
As for when he wants to make the film, he sahred: “I don’t know exactly when I will go back to Arrakis. I might make a detour before just to go away from the sun. For my mental sanity I might do something in between, but my dream would be to go a last time on this planet that I love.”
Also, during an interview with MTV’s Josh Horowitz, Timothée Chalamet shared a big detail regarding a returning character in Dune Messiah. This will be considered a spoiler fo those that have read the books. It’s kind of funny when Chalamet is called out for spoiling this detail because he points out that the secrecy behind the films is ridiculous because the books have been out in the world for 70 years!
Anyway, he shared that Jason Momoa’s character Duncan Idaho, who was killed off towards the end of the first movie, will return in Dune: Messiah.
How does he return? Well, in the Dune universe, an artificial copy of a deceased person known as a Ghola can be created by a genetically altered race known as the Bene Tleilax. In the story, Paul is presented with a Ghola of his old friend.
As for the upcoming sequel, Villeneuve described it as being “more muscular” than the first installment, saying: “The first movie was more meditative and contemplative. We were following a young man discovering a new planet, a new culture. The second movie…it’s more of an action film than the first part. It’s more muscular.”
Dune is a mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, and tells the story of Paul Atreides, “a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.”
This next chapter of the story will explore the “mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee.”
Dune: Part Two will be released on March 1, 2024.
