Since Dune: Part II was released in theaters, becoming one of the biggest science fiction successes in recent years, Denis Villeneuve has not stopped insisting that he would like to culminate this saga with a final film. Now, Legendary has confirmed that Dune will become a trilogy with a third part titled Dune: Messiah.
Dune: Messiah, or The Messiah of Dune, is the second book in Frank Herbert’s saga. With it, the story of Paul Atreides concludes, giving him a much less complacent ending than in his first novel, which the director believes is necessary in order not to have a mistaken image of this “messiah”. In addition, the filmmaker himself revealed that, on this occasion, the protagonist would be Irulan Corrino, the character played by Florence Pugh in the second part.
Dune: Messiah will be Villeneuve’s next project, but not the only one
With over 637 million dollars raised —and counting—, Dune: Part II has become the biggest success of the year so far. In addition, the film has greatly improved both in reviews and box office numbers compared to its predecessor, which has encouraged Legendary to trust in this third part.
We know that this will be Villeneuve’s most immediate project, but not the only one. Legendary has also confirmed that the director will then direct the adaptation of the novel that was a finalist for a Pulitzer Prize, Nuclear War: A Scenario, by Annie Jacobsen. In it, it explores what a nuclear war would be like today; a nightmare that Villeneuve has wanted to delve into without hesitation… always after finishing his main trilogy.
Keeping this in mind, it is likely that Dune: Messiah will have the complete script this same year to start filming at some point in 2025. From the first to the second movie, we had to wait three years, numbers that seem quite approximate to what the production of this third part may take.
