In 1984, director David Lynch’s Dune attempted to bring the entirety of Frank Herbert’s original novel to the big screen in a single film. Four decades later, with Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two, director Denis Villeneuve has achieved the critical and commercial success that eluded Lynch. Narratively, Villeneuve has reached the same point that Lynch did. The key difference is that Villeneuve will have a chance to continue the story on the big screen in Dune: Part Three, which will be based on Herbert’s sequel novel, Dune Messiah.
Although the next sequel is still in a very early stage, it’s no secret that Dune: Part Three is on the horizon, and it’s something that Villeneuve has openly spoken about. Now it’s time to bring those threads together and share everything you need to know about Dune: Part Three.
Is Dune: Part Three officially going forward?
Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment are now developing the sequel to Dune: Part Two. A Deadline report from April 4 also stated Villeneuve and Legendary are developing Dune: Messiah as the “conclusion of the trilogy.” Unofficially, Villeneuve has spoken about his plans to adapt Dune: Messiah, the second novel in Herbert’s series, but not as the final part of a trilogy.
“First, it’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych,” Villeneuve said to Vanity Fair about his first two Dune films. “It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done, and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”
During another interview with The Times, Villeneuve also stated that he is in no hurry to rush the film into theaters. “There is absolutely a desire to have a third one, but I don’t want to rush it,” said Villeneuve. “The danger in Hollywood is that people get excited and only think about release dates, not quality.”
Although there is a 12-year gap between the events of Dune and Dune: Messiah, it was always unlikely that Villeneuve will wait that long before getting started. When asked about how he will handle the time jump with the cast, he simply said, “That’s my problem. I know how to do that.”
Villeneuve has already signaled to composer Hans Zimmer that he wants him to start thinking about the musical themes for Dune: Part Three. “Denis comes in on the second day of shooting [Dune: Part Two], and wordlessly comes in and puts Dune: Messiah on my desk, and I know where we’re going, and I know we’re not done,” said Zimmer during an interview with Variety.
While Villeneuve has gotten Zimmer to work on the threequel, he was reportedly unable to get cinematographer Greig Fraser to return, as he was already hired to work on The Batman: Part II. Though Fraser’s Oscar-nominated cinematography was a highlight of Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve is rumored to be in talks to hire a fitting replacement in cinematographer Linus Sandgren, who worked on acclaimed films like La La Land, First Man, No Time To Die, Babylon, and Saltburn.
What happens at the end of Dune: Part Two?
After killing Baron Harkonnen, Paul challenges Emperor Shaddam IV for the throne and declares his intentions to marry Princess Irulan. In a knife duel, Paul defeats and kills the Emperor’s champion, Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. After threatening to destroy the spice reserves with nuclear warheads, the Emperor bows to Paul and kisses his signet ring. Princess Irulan agrees to the marriage request, and Paul spares the Emperor’s life.
When the Great Houses refuse to acknowledge Paul as Emperor, he orders the Fremen troops to attack them, igniting Muad’Dib’s holy war at the end of Dune: Part Two. While Fremen troops board ships, Chani refuses to acknowledge Paul as Emperor and waits to ride a sandworm into the desert. Chani’s departure marks a stark difference from the ending in Herbert’s novel, hinting that Dune: Part Three will feature more deviations from its source material.
Which cast members are coming back for Dune: Part Three?
Since the third Dune film has only just begun production, only a few cast members have been officially announced so far. Naturally, the film will show Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh reprising their roles from Dune: Part Two, which are central to the threequel’s story. The film will also feature new and established characters in the cast:
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan Corrino
- Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho
- Nakoa Wolf-Momoa as Leto II Atreides
- Ida Brooke as Ghanima Atreides
Duncan was killed in the first Dune movie, but Dune Messiah saw his character brought back as a clone named Hayt, who also plays a crucial role in the villain’s plans. Additionally, since Villeneuve went out of his way to secretly cast Anya Taylor-Joy in a surprise role in Part Two, it stands to reason that she would also come back for the sequel. Dune: Part Three also seems to have gotten another A-list star in Robert Pattinson, who has allegedly signed up to play the villain Scytale, a shapeshifting Face Dancer.
When will Dune: Messiah be released?
As noted above, Villeneuve does not want to rush the sequel to meet an arbitrary release date. Screen Rant reports that Warner Bros. has Villeneuve’s next film scheduled for release on December 18, 2026.
In an interview with Deadline, Villeneuve was asked if Dune 3 would shoot in late 2025 or early 2026. Villeneuve murmured, “2026.” However, shooting began on June 7, 2025, in Budapest, with the official Dune account on X announcing the start of production with a quote taken straight from the pages of Dune Messiah and a photo of “Arrakis” seemingly taken by Villeneuve himself.
“…on a journey into that land where we walk without footprints.”
Production has begun on the next film in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy.
📷 Denis Villeneuve
📍 Arrakis pic.twitter.com/JYP8ShbrRx— DUNE (@dunemovie) July 8, 2025
With filming beginning earlier than expected, Villeneuve and his team should have plenty of time to complete Dune: Part Three before its scheduled release date. Variety also revealed that Dune: Part Three will feature sequences filmed using IMAX cameras, although the entire film will not be shot in this format.
Will there be a Dune: Part Four?
Assuming Dune: Part Three is also a success, there could very well be an adaptation of Herbert’s third Dune novel, Children of Dune, which takes place several years after Dune: Messiah.
This third novel follows Paul’s twin children, Leto II and Ghanima Atreides, who are raised to become the next rulers of the Atreides Empire, but are threatened by Paul’s sister, Alia, as she has become corrupted by the genetic memory of her evil grandfather, Baron Harkonnen. The twins and Alia also face two rebellions, one by House Corrino and the other by Fremen led by Paul, who goes by “The Preacher” since his disappearance into the desert. This story ultimately sees Leto using the powers inherited from his father to become the God Emperor of the Known Universe and follow the “Golden Path” that his father couldn’t follow.
Dune: Part Three seems to be setting up an adaptation of Children of Dune with castings for Leto II and Ghanima. However, Villeneuve has shown little interest in remaining with the franchise to adapt the third book. If he decides to leave and the franchise is set to continue, another filmmaker would have to be chosen to bring that story to life.
“Listen, if Dune: Messiah happens, it will have been many years for me on Arrakis, and I would love to do something else,” said Villeneuve. “I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books. They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”
How many Dune novels are there?
Frank Herbert wrote six Dune novels before his death in 1986. In 1999, Herbert’s son, Brian Herbert, and novelist Kevin J. Anderson revived the Dune universe with the first of 17 novels to date that have explored the events that took place thousands of years before the first book, as well as stories that serve as sequels to Herbert’s primary narrative. In short, there’s plenty of Dune material for future movies, TV shows, video games, and beyond.
