The original post is located at www.elle.com
Spoilers for Dune: Part Two below.
If you’ve already seen Dune: Part Two, a question at the top of your mind (besides where can I find a sandworm popcorn bucket?) might be: So, what comes next?
It’s a fair thought after watching this epic chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi saga. Based on Frank Herbert’s ’60s sci-fi novel Dune, Part Two continues the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) with a thrilling sequel that follows him becoming one with the Fremen, falling in love with Chani (Zendaya), avenging his father, and stepping into his role as the Lisan al-Gaib.
There’s still so much to explore on the planet of Arrakis and beyond. Next in line for adaptation is Dune Messiah, the second book in Herbert’s series, on which Villeneuve has already begun pre-production work. Herbert wrote six books in the original series, and there are still dozens more set in the Dune-iverse. However, even in IP-heavy Hollywood, Villeneuve doesn’t want to lead the Dune franchise beyond the third (and supposedly) final film installment, solidifying the chronicle of Paul Atreides’ rise (and fall).
Here’s what we know about a third Dune film so far.
Are plans for Dune 3 confirmed?
The third Dune film is indeed in the works, though it is not (yet) officially named Dune Messiah.
While promoting Dune in 2021, Villeneuve said, “I always envisioned three movies. It’s not that I want to do a franchise, but this is Dune, and Dune is a huge story. In order to honor it, I think you would need at least three movies. That would be the dream. To follow Paul Atreides and his full arc would be nice.”
And during a press conference in South Korea in December 2023, the director said the script is “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.”
Still, it wasn’t until February 2025 that Deadline shared news of Dune 3 production plans. Per the outlet, Villeneuve plans to shoot the third film this summer, so long as talent availabilities line up. “The team is in pre-production and has been prepping for a while behind the scenes to try to get things ready for a summer start,” Deadline reported.
NIKO TAVERNISE
When will Dune 3 come out?
The release date for the third film is not yet confirmed, but Deadline reported in 2024 that Warner Bros. had set a December 2026 date for a “Denis Villeneuve Event Film,” one that will almost certainly shape up to be Dune 3. Still, as a later Deadline piece noted, December 2026 is an ambitious deadline should filming only begin in summer 2025. Thus, it’s possible the film might not premiere until 2027.
Who will be in the cast?
Warner Bros. has yet to confirm the cast, but we can expect to see Timothée Chalamet return as Paul Atreides, the titular messiah; Zendaya as Chani; and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica.
Florence Pugh would be featured more heavily as Princess Irulan, should she return for the role. Similar to how Zendaya was introduced as Chani in the first Dune and featured more prominently in the second, Pugh is expected to have far more screen time in the third film. “Her character is introduced in Part Two, but then if there is an adaptation of Dune Messiah, of course Princess Irulan is one of the main characters in that story,” Villeneuve told Entertainment Weekly.
It’s still too early for additional casting announcements.
What will Dune 3 be about?
According to the book’s synopsis: “As Emperor of the known universe, [Paul] possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremen, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne–and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence. And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him from the machinations of his enemies, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover, Chani, and the unborn heir to his family’s dynasty…”
Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
The next potential film seems to be headed in that direction. (Warning: More spoilers ahead!) The end of Dune: Part Two sets up Paul’s reign as emperor. After an epic battle alongside the Fremen, he kills Vladimir Harkonnen, avenging his father, and defeating Vladimir’s nephew Feyd-Rautha in combat for the throne. He offers his hand in marriage to Princess Irulan, the emperor’s daughter, much to the chagrin of Chani, his Fremen love. She’s not the only one upset by his decision; the Great Houses are approaching to attack and reject Paul’s claim for emperor. The holy war he had seen in his dreams is taking shape.
Keep in mind, too, that Paul’s mother Lady Jessica—now a reverend mother—is about to give birth to a daughter. It was also revealed in the film that Lady Jessica is of Harkonnen descent, and therefore so is Paul.
Before the credits role, Chani appears alone in the desert, ready to hitch a ride on a sandworm, fighting back tears. It’s possible that she might also have a strong role in the resistance to Paul’s authority in the next film, as she already starts to show her disapproval of his rise to power in Dune: Part Two. She tries to warn her people that revering messianic figures are how those in power “enslave us.”
As Villeneuve told Entertainment Weekly, “In [Frank Herbert’s] mind, Dune was a cautionary tale—a warning against charismatic figures. He felt that Paul was perceived as a hero, when he wanted to do the opposite. So in order to correct that, he wrote Dune Messiah, a kind of epilogue that makes it very clear this story is not a victory; it’s a tragedy.” The director added that he “used Chani’s character” to help express Herbert’s intentions with the book. “I gave her a different agenda, and used her to bring a different perspective to the story.”
Zendaya told CNN she hopes she can share more scenes with Pugh in the next film and explore the dynamic between Chani, Paul, and Irulan. “I, at least as a fan, would love to see more of that,” she said. “Florence is brilliant and it would be amazing to be in more scenes with her. But again, it’s up to Denis and how he sees it.”
Will there be any additional Dune movies after that?
Although there are six books in Frank Herbert’s series, and plenty of additional spin-offs, Villeneuve only has a desire to create three films. “Dune Messiah should be the last Dune movie for me,” he confirmed to Time in an interview published in January 2024.
He’d also told Empire last August, “If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream.”
In the meantime, a spin-off series titled Dune: Prophecy, which follows the Bene Gesserit, is set to premiere on Max sometime this year.
