Though it is expected that “Dune: Part Two” (now scheduled for a 2024 release date) will finish the story of Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi novel, it really isn’t the full story arc for the lead character, Paul Atreides. You see, the sequel novel, “Dune: Messiah,” is really the end-end of the story, finishing up the arc for Paul and showing the true effect of the character’s place in Arrakis. All that to say, Denis Villeneuve, the filmmaker behind the recent ‘Dune’ movies, is a fan of Herbert’s series and is well aware of this fact, which means he is already planning a third film in the franchise… if things go well with the upcoming sequel.
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Speaking to Empire, Denis Villeneuve explained why he is still working hard to finish a trilogy of ‘Dune’ films. Yes, that’s three movies. Right now, the studio is only guaranteeing the sequel, “Dune: Part Two.” However, for the filmmaker, the trilogy is really the goal.
“If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream,” said Villeneuve.
For those who aren’t familiar with Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’ books, the first novel is a complete story… ish. Sure, we get resolutions for the plot points of the novel. We see Paul Atreides have a massive impact on the universe. However, that’s not really the full story. You see, after the release of “Dune,” Frank Herbert was struck by the reaction people had to the story, with how Paul was being hailed as the hero of the story. Sure, he’s the protagonist, but he’s definitely not a hero. So, ‘Messiah’ was born. This is the novel that finishes Paul’s story and really serves as a coda to the original “Dune” epic.
“Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero,” the filmmaker added. “Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of ‘Dune’] is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning.”
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Don’t worry, I’m not going to spoil the events of ‘Messiah,’ but it is imperative that the story gets told to really understand Herbert’s vision of “Dune.” As for the idea of a third film, it’s more than just a dream, at this point. According to Villeneuve, “there are words on paper” and a third film could happen, depending on the reception of the upcoming sequel.
Now, if you do just a simple search of Frank Herbert’s “Dune” novels, you realize the author wrote six main novels in the series (with more being written by other authors over the decades). So, really, if Villeneuve wanted to tell the complete story, he would have to adapt many more novels, right? Well, not so much. As Villeneuve said in the interview, after ‘Messiah,’ “the books become more… esoteric.”
As a fan of the novels, let me just say, that’s an understatement. While “Children of Dune” and the other novels that come after ‘Messiah’ are great in their own right, they are definitely on a different plane of existence than “Dune” and “Dune: Messiah.” They’re just different beasts altogether and might be a bridge too far for casual film fans looking for a beautiful sci-fi epic.
“Dune: Part Two” is now scheduled to arrive in theaters on March 15, 2024.