Denis Villeneuve reveals that work on Dune 3 has already begun and teases the filming timeline for the sequel. Villeneuve directed and co-wrote Dune and Dune: Part Two, both of which were well-received by critics and general audiences. Dune: Part Two was also a box office hit that earned more than $700 million worldwide and was the highest grossing movie of 2024 until being surpᴀssed by Inside Out 2. Villeneuve previously confirmed his involvement in Dune 3, which will adapt Frank Herbert’s novel Dune: Messiah and will be Villeneuve’s last adaptation in the franchise.

While speaking with ᴅᴇᴀᴅline, Villeneuve shared that “I’m in the writing zone right now” for Dune 3 and he will “go back behind the camera faster than I think” for the story that will “finish the Paul Atreides arc.“ When asked about a potential start date for Dune: Messiah‘s production, he mentioned “2026,“ although he clarified that “these movies take a lot of time to be made, so it’s best not to say out loud when I might shoot.” Check out Villeneuve’s other comments below:

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.

What This Update Means For Dune 3

The Adaptation Is Off To A Good Start

Even though production on Dune 3 is still far off, Villeneuve is already writing the scripts for the highly anticipated sequel. Just as he did with Dune and Dune: Part Two, he is taking his time to ensure that he creates compelling adaptations that do the source material justice. His genuine excitement and pᴀssion for Herbert’s novels and the intricate universe he created is evident, as is his enthusiasm for how the story continues and changes in Dune: Messiah.

Dune: Part Two‘s ending made some prominent but powerful changes from the original Dune novel, especially where Chani (Zendaya) is concerned. These changes worked well in the film, but now Villeneuve needs to make sure that the changes can also work in his adaptation of Dune: Messiah. Between these changes, the 12-year time jump, and the developments that happen during that time, Villeneuve recognizes how different Dune 3 will be from its predecessors, a challenge that excites him as he works on the script and looks ahead to getting behind the camera again.

Our Take On Denis Villeneuve’s Comments

Dune: Messiah Will Be Worth The Wait

It is promising to hear that progress is already underway on Dune 3 and that Villeneuve even has a tentative production window in mind. The time that was taken on the previous movies paid off, particularly with Dune: Part Two, which remains one of the best movies of 2024. Villeneuve earned plenty of goodwill and trust after the success of Dune and Dune: Part Two, giving him as much time as needed in order to perfect the script for Dune 3 so it could live up to the movies that came before it.

There Are Plans For Dune 4 But Without Villeneuve

Villeneuve Suggested He Would Leave Room For The Story To Continue

Denis Villeneuve has discussed the unlikelihood of him returning to the Dune franchise following Dune 3, but the filmmaker does seem to have the future of the franchise in mind. When discussing the third movie in the series, Villeneuve mentioned the fact that he feels the need to plant “seeds” so that the story could continue on past Dune 3, even if he was not involved:

I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone 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 stamped his own vision on the world of Dune, but he seems comfortable with the idea of allowing others to continue the story once he has told the one he is most interested in. It is true that there are elements of the later books that would seem very difficult to adapt to a movie, but Villeneuve being aware of this and wanting to ensure the future of the franchise suggests he has ideas for how to tackle some of those stranger aspects.

It is also comforting to know that Villeneuve is a filmmaker who is focused on telling one story at a time even if he is in a big franchise. Dune: Part Two did indeed plant seeds for a third movie, but not in a heavy-handed way that distracted from the story already being told. Dune 3 will no doubt feel like a complete story on its own while leaving the possibility for more. It will be big shoes to fill for any director following Villeneuve into the Dune universe, but Dune 3 could set up an enticing story to follow.

Source: ᴅᴇᴀᴅline