Renowned filmmaker Denis Villeneuve has been extremely vocal about his desire to create a third movie in the ‘Dune’ film series, based on Frank Herbert’s second novel, ‘Dune Messiah.’
As of now, Warner Bros. has not officially approved the production of ‘Dune 3.’ But when they do, it is anticipated to be Villeneuve’s last movie in the franchise. Despite Frank Herbert's literary series having more sequels like ‘Children of Dune,’ ‘God Emperor of Dune,’ ‘Heretics of Dune,’ and ‘Chapterhouse: Dune,’ Villeneuve’s involvement will likely end with this potential third movie.
He told TIME magazine in an interview, “‘Dune Messiah’ should be the last ‘Dune’ movie for me.” The director, who is currently gearing up for the release of ‘Dune: Part Two’ said that his adaptation of the novels are based on a lifelong passion of his for the subject. “I was trying to be, as a filmmaker, as invisible as possible,” he said of the first ‘Dune’ film, released in 2021, adding, “I tried my best to keep the poetry of the book, the atmosphere, the colours, the smell, everything that I felt when I read the book. I tried.”
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Last August, Villeneuve had told Empire Magazine that, “If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream.”
Should Villeneuve secure the opportunity to helm ‘Dune Messiah,’ the project might experience a delay. Devoting the past six years to the first two ‘Dune’ films, he could seek a break or a different project before delving into the third part. At a press conference in South Korea in 2023, Villeneuve mentioned that “there was no gap” between the first two movies, indicating his wish to have some space before the production for the third film commences.
After that, he aims to bid farewell to the franchise, motivated by his desire to steer clear of a financially-driven Hollywood.
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The director has also expressed interest in creating an adaptation of Stacy Schiff’s ‘Cleopatra’ and a rendition of Arthur C Clarke’s futuristic classic ‘Rendezvous With Rama’ sometime in the future.
