This summer could be the spiciest season ever, as Denis Villeneuve reportedly plans to shoot Dune 3. After two incredibly successful installments of the epic sci-fi film series, Villeneuve is amid pre-production on the anticipated sequel to last year’s blockbuster box office smash. According to numerous reputable sources, cameras could roll on Dune 3 in late summer if schedules align and all is well in Hollywood.
Dune: Part Two, released in March of last year, raised a fist to the sky after conquering the box office with a $700M+ global total. Dune 3 sees Villeneuve adapting Frank Herbert’s third book in the trilogy, Dune: Messiah, bringing Paul Atreides’ story to its end.
According to Villeneuve, he did not expect to be back with Dune so soon after filming Dune: Part Two. Speaking with Deadline in October, Villeneuve said, “I’m in the writing zone right now.” He’s also made sure not to name this third movie Dune: Part Three, as he says parts One and Two are “for me like one entity. It’s a movie made in two parts. It’s finished, it’s done.” Villeneuve says that he could have stopped after Part Two, but he also added, “but yes, like Herbert did with Dune: Messiah, I think it’ll be a great idea to do something completely different. The story takes place like 12 years after where we left the characters at the end of Part Two. Their journey, their story is different this time, and that’s why I always say that while it’s the same world it’s a new film with new circumstances.” He confirms that Dune: Messiah “will finish the Paul Atreides arc.”
Villeneuve told Deadline that Dune movies take a long time to shoot, which explains the film’s lengthy preparation phase. He could also be returning to Dune sooner rather than later to remain “in the zone” before moving on to other projects. Shooting another film would have given him a break from the sand and spice, but understandably, he’d like to wrap the series up. Getting everyone in the same place is also a factor. The cast list for Dune: Messiah is like a Christopher Nolan film, packed with many of Hollywood’s most in-demand stars.
Dune: Messiah follows Muad’dib, heir to unimaginable power, as he brings to fruition the ancient scheme to create a superbeing ruler among men, not in the heavens. The cast of Dune: Messiah is not confirmed, though it’s safe to say that actors like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy will appear in the new chapter.
Are you excited to hear that Dune: Messiah is coming along nicely? If the film shoots this summer, it could be out by next year. Will Dune: Messiah be the final film in Villeneuve’s Dune series? Let us know what you think in the comments section below.
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