Dune: Part Three gets an intriguing status update from Hans Zimmer. Zimmer composed the iconic musical score for both Dune and its 2024 sequel, the former of which earned him an Academy Award for Best Original Score. Dune: Part Two was successful at the box office and went on to be nominated for five Oscars, winning for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects, but losing out on Best Picture to Anora. After this well-received sequel, director Denis Villeneuve and his team are moving on to work on a third Dune film.
Speaking on the Happy Sad Confused podcast, Zimmer touched upon the Dune Messiah adaptation’s development. He confirmed that the third Dune installment is “happening sooner rather than later“ and mentioned that Villeneuve was “on a plane as we speak, back to Canada.” When asked about Zimmer’s own progress in making the score for the third film, he coyly said that he “maybe” has some ideas. Check out the full quote from Zimmer below:
Hans Zimmer: I talk to Denis every day. Yes, it is happening sooner rather than later.
Josh Horowitz, host: Has much work on your end been done yet? Like do you already have in your mind what you’re gonna play around with there?
Zimmer: Maybe. Maybe. Denis is on a plane as we speak, back to Canada.
What This Means For Dune: Part Three
The Movie’s Suspected Release Date Is Looking More Likely
Dune: Part Three, notably, does not yet have an official release date. Warner Bros. has scheduled the next Villeneuve project to come out on December 18, 2026. The studio has not confirmed that film to be Messiah, but Zimmer’s confirmation that he will return to Arrakis “sooner rather than later” seems to suggest that the December 2026 date is likely. If this comes to fruition, this would mean a 2.5-year gap between 2024’s Dune: Part Two and Messiah, which is a similar gap to the first two movies.
Zimmer still keeps it vague when referring to production progress for Dune Messiah, as he does not specify where exactly they are at in the process or where Villeneuve was flying back from. If Villeneuve was location scouting or something similar, however, this is another good sign in the direction of a December 2026 release date. The Dune movies’ high levels of visual effects necessitate ample post-production time, so the third film will likely have to start filming soon in order to make this ᴅᴇᴀᴅline.
Our Take On The Dune Messiah News
Warner Bros. Should Ride The Part Two Momentum
Dune: Part Two did well financially, and Villeneuve is still considered underappreciated by many. As such, Warner Bros. would be wise to sink their energy into funding and accelerating production for his next Dune movie, as it is likely to perform the best when it can ride the momentum of the previous installments. Because of that, I do think Zimmer’s production hint is not just a tease but a nearly foolproof confirmation that Dune: Part Three will be coming late next year.
Source: Happy Sad Confused
