After earning an impressive 92% rating from critics and 95% from audiences on Rotten Tomatoes, as well as grossing more than $700 million globally, Dune: Part Two has solidified its position as one of the biggest movies of 2024. It also ranks as one of the most successful sequels of all time.
The movie picks up right where Dune: Part One left off, continuing the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and his journey through the desert planet of Arrakis. Dune: Part One was a massive success in 2021, winning six Academy Awards and earning multiple nominations. However, the conclusion of the story was only touched upon in the first film, and much more remains to be shown.
Director Denis Villeneuve, who brought the first two Dune movies to life, has already confirmed that work has begun on Dune: Messiah, the third installment in the epic sci-fi franchise.
Although it was previously thought that filming for Dune: Messiah wouldn’t start until next year, a new report from Deadline revealed that production will begin in June 2025, much earlier than expected. This announcement has fans excited as they eagerly await the continuation of the Dune saga.
Zendaya’s Busy Film Schedule: Balancing Dune: Messiah and Spider-Man 4
One surprising aspect of this update is that Spider-Man 4, another highly anticipated film starring Zendaya, is also scheduled to begin filming this summer around the same time as Dune: Messiah. Zendaya, who plays the character Chani in the Dune series, is also expected to return as MJ in Spider-Man 4.
While Marvel has yet to officially confirm Zendaya’s involvement in Spider-Man 4, Tom Holland, who stars as Spider-Man, confirmed last year that he and Zendaya had been reading scripts together. This implies that Zendaya’s role in the film is likely confirmed.
In Dune: Messiah, Zendaya’s character, Chani, will play a major role. Chani is Paul’s primary love interest, even though Paul is betrothed to Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh). However, Paul’s heart has always belonged to Chani, and this complicated relationship will be shown further in the third film.
Zendaya’s involvement in both Dune: Messiah and Spider-Man 4 raises questions about her schedule, as both projects are set to begin filming around the same time.
While Spider-Man 4 and Dune: Messiah will keep Zendaya busy, she is also set to star in another big project. Zendaya and Tom Holland have both been cast in The Odyssey, the upcoming film from Christopher Nolan, the director who recently won an Oscar for his film Oppenheimer.
The Odyssey is expected to be a historical epic, and filming will take place worldwide. However, the production of The Odyssey could potentially create scheduling conflicts with Dune: Messiah or Spider-Man 4. If Zendaya’s role in The Odyssey is smaller, there is a chance she could complete filming for this project before the other two films start production.
At this time, Dune: Messiah does not have an official release date, but it is expected to follow the events of Dune: Part Two and continue the epic saga of Paul Atreides. Fans can look forward to updates on the project and can stream both Dune movies on Max.
