Denis Villeneuve has been discussing his plans for his final Dune film, Messiah. But if it happens, don’t expect the usual rules of a three-film arc to apply.
It’s looking increasingly like Denis Villeneuve will be returning to the sands of Arrakis for his next project, with a third and final Dune film seemingly next on his to-do list.
None of this is confirmed as of yet, with the film itself not officially greenlit, but a July IMAX presentation also strongly suggested that Warner has a sequel planned, with a slideshow for investors showing a production called ‘Untitled Dune Denis Villeneuve’ next to the likes of Disney’s Moana remake and the next Avatar. Warner has also said that Villeneuve has an ‘event film’ scheduled for release on the 18th December 2026. The clues are there.
The allure of completing a trilogy of films has appealed to many a filmmaker, but Villenueve has always liked to do things a little differently and the same is true here. The filmmaker has been speaking to Vanity Fair, and he’s made it clear that Dune: Messiah – much like the source material – won’t be a traditional trilogy capper.
Frank Herbert’s book is tonally different from the story that precedes it, taking place a dozen years after the events of Dune. It’s seen as more of a coda to that novel rather than a fully-fledged continuation of its story. Villeneuve, it seems, plans to honour Herbert’s books and is treating his adaptation of Dune: Messiah in the same way.
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“The thing is, first, it’s really important that people understand for me, it was really a diptych … It was two movies, a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book.That’s done, that’s finished. So, if I do a third one, which is in the writing process, I will say that, for me, it’s a different object. It’s not like a trilogy almost, it’s strange to say, but I really want to – if I go back there – to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”
As he’s currently writing the script for Dune: Messiah, we’d imagine Villeneuve is arleady in the midst of finding that new ‘identity’ for the film, something he also calls a “different cinematic philosophy.” The director also added that the film will ensure that more Dune films can follow, even if it won’t be him making them.
While Villeneuve won’t confirm that Dune: Messiah is next on his slate, at this point we’d be surprised if it doesn’t happen. Warner Bros and Legendary will surely be keen to press ahead on the project, the former especially since its big franchise hitters for 2024 beyond Dune haven’t all performed well at the box office. The studio’s 2027 slate is currently light on blockbusters beyond another Godzilla Vs King film, so the return of a successful franchise like Dune would surely be welcomed.
We’ll bring you more on this one as we hear it.
