In yesterday’s story about Denis Villeneuve eyeing an adaptation of Nuclear War: A Scenario, we noted that he’s not quite finished with the world of Dune just yet. And Legendary, which is quite happy staying in the Villeneuve business, are ready to move forward on the sequel to Dune: Part Two.
EW reports that Dune 3 is officially in the works, which should come as a surprise to nobody given the $631M earned by the latest film after only a month of release. Villeneuve has spoken frequently about wanting to tell the full arc of Paul Atreides’ story, which would mean adapting Dune Messiah for the screen, too.
So what would that mean in terms of story? I’m not going to pretend to be a Dune aficionado here, but I do know it’ll mean increased roles for Florence Pugh‘s Princess Irulan, who marries Timothee Chalamet’s Paul Atreides to solidify his rule. It would also mean more of Anya Taylor-Joy as Paul’s sister, Alia, and more of the Bene Gesserit. Villeneuve might have to make some changes to Frank Herbert’s original story to make it worth it for Zendaya to return as Chani, because she doesn’t have much to do.
As for when Dune 3 could happen? That’s a big question mark. Villeneuve has a lot that a lot on the burner, and probably needs some time away to recharge the batteries. But don’t be surprised if Legendary drops a release date soon.
