Dune Messiah: Denis Villeneuve Hopes to End Story as a Trilogy

Following the official confirmation for Dune: Part Two, director Denis Villeneuve has opened up about his plans for the future of the Timothée Chalamet-led film franchise beyond the upcoming sequel.

The acclaimed filmmaker revealed that he has always envisioned ending Paul Atreides’ arc with a third installment that would adapt Frank Herbert’s follow-up novel Dune Messiah, which takes place 12 years after the events of Dune. He explained that in order to honor the story’s massive scope, he thinks that it should be told into at least three movies.

“I always envisioned three movies,” Villeneuve told EW. “It’s not that I want to do a franchise, but this is Dune, and Dune is a huge story. In order to honor it, I think you would need at least three movies. That would be the dream. To follow Paul Atreides and his full arc would be nice.”

For fans familiar with the novels, Dune Messiah was actually followed by four more sequels. However, Villeneuve thinks that the latter books would be hard to adapt on screen due to their weird and strange nature.

“Herbert wrote six books, and the more he was writing, the more it was getting psychedelic,” Villeneuve said. “So I don’t know how some of them could be adapted. One thing at a time. If I ever have the chance to do Dune: Part Two and Dune Messiah, I’m blessed.”

RELATED: Dune Tops the Domestic Box Office, Crosses $200M Worldwide

Based on Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, Dune features a star-studded cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, with Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem.

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“A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, the movie tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people,” reads the synopsis.  “As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence — a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential — only those who can conquer their fear will survive.”

RELATED: Dune 2: Director Denis Villeneuve Is Already Writing the Sequel

Dune was directed and executive produced by Denis Villeneuve from a screenplay he co-wrote with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. Cale Boyter, Joe Caracciolo Jr., and Mary Parent are producing. Oscar-winning and multiple Oscar-nominated composer Hans Zimmer (Blade Runner 2049) is creating the score.

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