Denis Villeneuve, the director of Dune and Dune: Part Two, recently shared exciting news about the next movie, Dune: Messiah. He spoke about his plans and how this new film fits with the other two.
Villeneuve’s latest film, Dune: Part Two, has been a huge hit, currently ranking as the #4 movie of 2024 behind Inside Out 2, Deadpool & Wolverine, and Despicable Me 4. The movie made $711 million worldwide, a big increase from the $407 million made by the first Dune film in 2021.
When asked about adapting Dune: Messiah, Villeneuve explained:
“First, it’s that important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych. It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”
At first, this might seem confusing. Dune is not like Game of Thrones, where creators had to go beyond the books. Frank Herbert wrote six Dune books before he died in 1986. The first two Dune movies adapt only the first book, not two books
. Dune: Messiah is the second book in Herbert’s series, followed by Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune, and Chapterhouse: Dune. So, even though Villeneuve’s final Dune movie will be the third, it is not a trilogy. He is just finishing the story he wants to tell, not telling the entire story. There is still room for others to continue the story.
Denis Villeneuve Wants to Pass the Baton for Future ‘Dune’ Stories
The Dune franchise will soon have a spin-off called Dune: Prophecy, coming to Max. This new show is set 10,000 years before Villeneuve’s films and shows the origins of the Bene Gesserit. Villeneuve knows that if there are more Dune stories after he leaves Arrakis, he needs to set things up for someone else:
“Listen, if Dune: Messiah happens, it will have been many years for me on Arrakis, and I would love to do something else. I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the projects if someone else wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books.
They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”
Villeneuve has confirmed that he will not direct any more Dune projects after Messiah. He wants to help set up future stories for someone else to continue. It’s thoughtful of him to plan for more stories even as he steps away. If someone takes over, they will have big shoes to fill to match Villeneuve’s work.
Dune: Messiah is in development, but it does not have an official release date yet. Keep an eye on Otakukart for updates, and watch Dune: Part Two, now streaming on Max.
