Director Denis Villeneuve is ready for Dune 3, AKA "Dune Messiah". But in a recent interview he seemed to be implying that while the franchise will continue, the third movie will be his last.
Dune: Part 2 was a huge success, and continued the epic journey from Frank Herbert's iconic first novel of the complete Dune series .
Director Denis Villeneuve took his time adapting the first book into two movies to be as faithful to the source material as possible. The first and second part was a huge success, not only because of the stunning visuals, but also for the gripping story and amazing world-building.
Denis Villeneuve Will Direct "Messiah", But It'll Be His Last
In a recent interview with a Little Gold Men, Denis Villeneuve gave more details about what we can expect for the future of Dune on the big screen.
We know he will direct the next film. Which, despite being the third film, will actually be based on only the second book (Dune 1 & 2 are based on the first book , and Dune: Messiah will be based on the second book ). But what comes after that?
Denis Villeneuve says that this will be his last Dune film, but it won't be the end of Dune on the big screen:
I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books.
On the one hand, it is sad to see that Villeneuve's take on the books will be over, but letting other directors continue will surely be invigorating for the franchise.
Until then, we are excited about the upcoming TV series Dune: Prophecy starting in November 2024.
It won't be directed by Denis Villeneuve, but the trailer seems promising.
Dune Messiah: Villeneuve's Script For Dune 3 Is Nearly Ready
During a press conference for Dune: Part 2 in South Korea, Villeneuve didn't only talk about the upcoming movie to wrap up the first book's story – still, hearing him say that he's even happier with Part 2 than he was with the first (also amazingly well-made) movie, fans can only wonder just how epic the sequel will be.
Villeneuve also shared that he's totally down for continuing bringing the Dune universe to the big screens, and he's also nearly done with the script for Dune 3: Messiah. The sequel has not been greenlit yet, but seeing as there's a whole legendary book series to cover, we really don't see why they wouldn't continue adapting the story – seeing how successful Dune: Part 1 was, chances are finances won't be a problem.
Without spoiling anything, the third movie would adapt the second book in the series: Dune Messiah (duh). The second book is a little shorter than the first one and focuses more on the characters as the world of Arrakis is already set up.
This could mean that Dune Messiah could fit into a single movie – good thing for impatient people like me that can't wait for the conclusion of Paul's first adventure on the big screen.
Even if Dune Messiah is greenlit (and I'm absolutely positive that it will), production could still take some time according to Villeneuve:
"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 I love."
Is Dune Going To Be A Trilogy?
Wait a minute – go to the planet a last time? When there are six whole books to adapt and we've barely scratched the surface of Dune? Well, it could make sense, considering how Dune Messiah ends – if you know, you know.
And if you don't know, you might want to read up on Dune. Get the first book right here or jump straight to Dune Messiah to see for yourself what I'm talking about, because I sure as heck won't spoil anything right here.
However, it could make sense that Villeneuve calls it quits after Dune Messiah, simply for narrative reasons and for having an "easy out" there. There obviously still is more than enough story to tell (four books worth of story, to be exact), but there could be a pretty convenient way to end the adaptation there.
Or just adapt every single book, Mr. Villeneuve, I certainly wouldn't complain. But for now, let's check out Dune: Part 2 first on March 1, 2024.