Denis Villeneuve Teases A ‘Dune’ Trilogy & Potentially Adapting ‘Dune Messiah’

Other than film festival audiences, “Dune” won’t be seen by most audiences until October. Still, director Denis Villeneuve is already preparing fans for his plans to move forward with a franchise. He’s currently writing “Dune: Part Two” with screenwriter Jon Spaihts and recently stated he could “realistically” begin filming the sequel in the fall of 2022.

READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve Says ‘Dune: Part Two’ Could “Realistically” Shoot Next Fall

Now, he’s jumping towards the idea of even making a “Dune” trilogy. This week, he told CBC’s Radio Canada about wanting to adapt Frank Herbert’s second novel, “Dune Messiah,” to potentially close out a trilogy.

“There is ‘Dune’s second book, ‘The Messiah of Dune,’ which could make an extraordinary film. I always saw that there could be a trilogy; after that, we’ll see. It’s years of work; I can’t think of going further than that,” the director revealed in an interview with Radio Canada.

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Here is the synopsis of “Dune Messiah”:

“‘Dune Messiah’ continues the story of Paul Atreides, better known–and feared–as the man christened Muad’Dib. As Emperor of the Known Universe, he possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremens, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne–and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence. And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him from the machinations of his enemies, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover, Chani, and the unborn heir to his family’s dynasty…”

READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve Has Another ‘Blade Runner’ Film In Mind But It’s Not A Sequel

Villeneuve also confirmed in his lengthy interview with Total Film that Baron Vladimir Harkonnen’s nephew Feyd-Rathua Harkonnen won’t appear in “Dune” part one and will be saved for the second installment. The villain was famously played by musician Sting in David Lynch‘s 1984 film and isn’t as scary looking as other Harkonnen.

“The book is so rich. There are so many fantastic details about the different cultures. In order to preserve and have the time to bring that to the screen, we had to make important choices,” Villeneuve said. Although he’s a big fan of Feyd’s costume from the Lynch film, he suggests it’s gotta go. “It was a powerful image, that jockstrap.”

READ MORE: Denis Villeneuve Doesn’t Think ‘Dune’ Would Have Been Made Without Timothée Chalamet

The Harkonnen family plays a huge role in the plot, and Feyd is expected to appear in “Dune: Part Two.” “Dune” will be released on October 22 in theaters and on HBO Max.