Director Denis Villeneuve’s first two Dune movies adapt the first novel in the series, and Dune: Part Three news confirms that he will adapt the second, Dune: Messiah. Though there are more than two dozen books that comprise the Dune franchise, only the first six were written by original author Frank Herbert. The first two novels center on the character of Paul Atreides (Timotheé Chalamet), the crux of Villeneuve’s story as well.

The Dune story has been adapted into movie and miniseries forms in the past, but Villeneuve’s approach has turned the heady sci-fi/fantasy series into a bona fide Hollywood blockbuster. Dune: Part Two‘s impressive box office performance not only validates Villeneuve’s vision for the franchise but also makes another film an absolute necessity. Dune: Part Three could be a fitting cap to the trilogy because it would allow the Paul Atreides storyline to run its course without running up against the stranger aspects of the Dune book series found in later installments.

Most Recent Dune: Part Three News

Denis Villeneuve Offers An Update On Dune: Part Three

With work continuing behind the scenes on the final story in the Paul Atreides arc, the latest news finds Denis Villeneuve tease Dune 3‘s production start time. While revealing he’s “in the writing zone right now,” Villenueve explained that adapting Frank Herbert’s work takes a lot of time. Nevertheless, when asked about a potential filming start date, the award-winning director hinted at 2026 as being the most likely start year. Furthermore, Villenueve continued to reiterate that Dune 3 would be his last in the franchise.

It’s also important to note that Villenueve was hesitant to commit to 2026 as a filming start year, and he made it clear that nothing is really certain about the sci-fi sequel. Villeneuve said “these movies take a lot of time to be made, so it’s best not to say out loud when I might shoot,“ which completely undermines previous comments.

Read Villenueve’s other statements 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.

Dune: Part Three Is Confirmed In Development

Warner Bros. Hasn’t Green Lit Dune 3 Yet

While Villeneuve is eager to bring a complete story to life for Dune as a trilogy, Warner Bros. has not officially green-lit Dune: Part Three. However, with the reaction to Dune: Part Two so overwhelmingly positive, WB will likely give the movie the go-ahead sooner rather than later. Furthermore, with Legendary confirming development was underway on the Part Three script, it’s only a matter of time before Warner Bros. gets on board. The director has hinted at a 2026 filming start time, but with so many things still up in the air, nothing is certain about Dune: Part Three‘s production.

Dune: Part Three Cast Details

Which Characters Appear In Dune Messiah?

Though Dune: Messiah is set 12 years after the events of the first Dune novel, most of the Dune: Part Three cast could still be composed of actors from the first two films. Timotheé Chalamet is expected to return as Paul Atreides to wrap up his fantastic arc, and Zendaya will need to return as his Fremen love, Chani. Additionally, Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan will also need to make a comeback, since her emotional journey throughout book three is paramount to the rest of the story.

The surprise casting of Anya Taylor-Joy in Dune: Part Two saw her ᴀssume the role of Paul’s sister, Alia. However, to compensate for the fact that Alia is merely an infant during the closing days of Frank Herbert’s Dune, Taylor-Joy appears as a vision of Paul’s sister from the future. This role will still provide issues for Dune: Part Three since Alia is only a tween when the events of the story take place, even if she possesses the consciousness of an adult. It is unclear if Taylor-Joy will continue playing the role.

A list of characters who could return in Dune: Part Three includes:

Actor	Dune Role
Timotheé Chalamet	Paul Atreides
Zendaya	Chani
Florence Pugh	Princess Irulan Corrino
Anya Taylor-Joy	Alia Atreides
Rebecca Fergusson	Lady Jessica Atreides
Javier Bardem	Stilgar
Josh Brolin	Gurney Halleck

Why Denis Villenueve Is Stopping After Dune: Part Three

The Dune Saga Gets Trickier & Trickier With Each Sequel

Denis Villeneuve has been very vocal about the fact that Dune: Part Three will be the last movie he works on in the franchise. Though it could be easy to chalk that up to a director simply wanting to work on other projects, it also speaks to the complicated nature of author Frank Herbert’s sequels. Dune: Part Three will adapt the second novel, Dune Messiah, which is ostensibly the end of Paul’s storyline. However, things continue in the third book, Children of Dune, but the stories get increasingly difficult to adapt on film.

By the time book four rolls around (God Emperor of Dune), the story follows Paul’s son, Emperor Leto II, as he has merged with the sandworms to become a collosal and seemingly undying creature. Not only would that be a hard sell for most audiences, it presents storytelling challenges since most of the story involves dense philosophy that isn’t conducive to Hollywood blockbusters. Each successive sequel also jumps further and further into the future, making things hard to follow as thousands of years pᴀss.

Dune: Part Three Story Details

What Happens In Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah?

By the time Dune Messiah begins, Paul Atreides isn’t just a messiah-like figure envisioning the future, he’s the emperor of the known universe. This prompts a religious fervor among his loyal followers, with the Fremen advocating for a war that will cause the death of billions. With firm control over his ancestral memories and visions of the future, Paul tries to prevent humanity’s destruction while also dodging ᴀssᴀssination attempts from embittered royal houses who envy his power.

Princess Irulan is Paul’s consort, the only way to keep him on the throne, but she sides against him, even attempting to prevent Chani from giving Paul an heir since Paul won’t allow Irulan to bear his children. Each of the Dune stories builds on the message of the danger of blind faith, making Dune: Part Three one of the most important parts of the entire Dune canon.