Denis Villeneuve Has "Words On Paper" For His Dream Dune: Part 3 Adaptation

More Dune could be on the way if the second film is a box office success, as director Denis Villeneuve explained in an interview that it's his dream to helm a trilogy of movies based on Frank Herbert's books. If Dune: Part Two performs well enough, Villeneuve's plan is to adapt Dune: Messiah for the big screen, the book that brings the tale of Paul Atreides to a close in a story that sees tens of billions people die during his reign as emperor.

"If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream," Villeneuve said to Empire. "Part Three, then, would consist of Dune Messiah, Herbert's direct follow-up to Dune. "Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of Dune] is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning. I will say, there are words on paper."

Villeneuve added that Dune: Part Three would likely be his final film in that series, as after the events of Messiah, the books became more "esoteric" in his opinion. Dune: Messiah has been adapted for television, as a mini-series combined both the second book and the third novel, Children of Dune, in 2003. Villeneuve's plan hinges on the box office performance of Dune: Part Two, which has been delayed by several months into 2024, while the strikes of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) and the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA) continue.

The most recent trailer for Dune: Part Two was released in June, and deals with Paul preparing to face his destiny as he wages war against House Harkonnen and Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), the head of House Corrino who rules over humanity. The film also stars Zendaya, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Lea Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgard, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Dune Part Two will release on March 24.