Denis Villeneuve’s third Dune movie is officially in the works

Sometimes, dreams do come true. That’s as true for Paul Atreides as it is for Denis Villeneuve, who now gets to make his third Dune movie. Legendary confirmed on Thursday that they are currently developing a third movie in the sci-fi franchise based on Frank Herbert’s original novels and are also in talks with Villeneuve to adapt Annie Jacobsen’s nonfiction book Nuclear War: A Scenario after that.

Villeneuve first told EW in 2021 that his goal all along was to make three Dune movies. Dune: Part Two completed the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s original 1965 sci-fi novel, but Herbert wrote five sequels before his death in 1986 (his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have since added to the franchise with many additional books). The first of Herbert’s sequels, 1969’s Dune Messiah, is what Villeneuve wants to adapt for his third movie in this series.

“I always envisioned three movies,” Villeneuve told EW then. “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.”

After all, Paul’s story is not over. He’s only just come into his power! Dune Messiah picks up a couple of years after the end of Dune, with Paul even more powerful than before but now threatened by a shadowy conspiracy. The story introduces new intergalactic factions like the Tleilaxu, advanced biologists who have developed cloning technology and employ shape-shifting spies called Face Dancers.

Dune Messiah also features meatier roles for characters viewers just met in Dune: Part Two, like Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) and Paul’s sister Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy). It would also continue the story of increasing disillusionment between Chani (Zendaya) and the Atreides.

“I would love to make Dune Messiah just to work with [Anya] and Florence more,” Villeneuve recently told EW. “Those actresses are so inspiring. They give me chills and the will to do another one.”