Director Denis Villeneuve doesn’t like to split his focus, but as he gears up for filming to begin on Dune: Part Two, he was willing to discuss the possibility of a third entry into the Dune film franchise.
In an interview with Collider, Villeneuve opened up about his possible plans for Dune 3. “Now I could envision a third movie and to make the adaptation of Dune Messiah that will complete Paul Atreides’s story that I think would make sense,” he explained. “But each movie, those movies are monsters, and I can only do one at a time. If I survive Dune: Part Two, then I might do the Messiah.”
Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah is the second in the six-part original Dune novel series. It follows Paul Atreides a dozen years after the events in the first novel, where he has become Emporer and conquered most of the known universe with the help of the Fremen. Naturally, there are forces conspiring to dethrone Paul, both internal and external, and he must grapple with them and his own visions of the future.
It’s another massive chapter in Herbert’s millennia-spanning epic story, and Villeneuve feels the weight of translating it to the screen. “When I start to think about that, I get tired. It’s too much,” he added. “I need to focus on one project at a time, to be honest. But Part Three will be…I’m making sure that Part Three will be doable.”
He’s also clear about Dune: Part Two not being a sequel, but rather a continuation of the story that began in Dune. “It’s not like if I was doing another story or another moment,” Villeneuve said of working on Part Two. “It’s really the second part of a bigger story, and I’m entirely 100% focused on that second part. I’m not someone that can multitask. I love to completely focus on one project at a time.”
As the 2021 release of Dune was a huge box office success, pulling in over $400 million globally despite a release amid the COVID-19 pandemic as well as a day-and-date HBO Max release, there was little question Villeneuve would embark on a second film journey. The casting rumors are flying as well, with buzz building about Black Widow‘s Florence Pugh and Elvis star Austin Butler potentially taking significant roles. Filming should begin soon, according to Villeneuve himself: “We are supposed to shoot by the end of the summer. I will say it is mostly designed. The thing that helps us right now is that it’s the first time I’ve revisited a universe…The movie will be more challenging, but we know where we are stepping.”
Dune: Part Two is set to premiere exclusively in theaters Oct. 20, 2023.
Source: Collider
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