Hans Zimmer has been one of the most crucial components of Denis Villenueve’s Dune films, providing a score that helps put us on Arrakis. His contributions to 2021’s film was so essential and powerful that it earned him his second Oscar for Best Original Score. And while he may have been completely snubbed for Dune: Part Two, he has high expectations for the third installment, Dune Messiah, recently teasing that things are pressing forward.
Hans Zimmer recently attended the premiere of F1 – which he scored for director Joseph Kosinski – where he was asked by Variety about the writing status of Dune Messiah. As he told them, “I just spoke to Denis. We’ve got something, we are on our way, let me put it this way…You know. But there’s a lot of desert still in front of us.”
Considering that filming is set to begin this summer, with a December 18th, 2026 release on the calendar, we can take it that Zimmer is referring to the score of Dune Messiah itself. If that’s the case, it’s worth pointing out that the composer seems to not get a chance to not have the Dune movies on the brain, previously saying that on the second day of filming Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve gave him a copy of the script for Messiah, almost as a silent way to nudging him to get writing.
While Denis Villeneuve has been keeping much of what Dune Messiah will hold close, he did tease that Chani (Zendaya) will have even more character development, especially given how things were left in Dune: Part Two. However, we do of course know how the book goes, as it was published nearly 60 years ago. As for that more specific plot: “Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known-and feared-as the man christened Muad’Dib. As Emperor of the Known Universe, he possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremens, 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.”
Villeneuve has already said that the third Dune will be his last, which of course means it will also be Zimmer’s last. Maybe then he’ll say it has a better score than Thelma & Louise…?
