Both of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films crushed it at the box office, with the sequel being one of the most-watched movies of the year. The way it ended left things wide open, getting fans hyped for another movie, which the director confirmed not long after it hit theaters.
But it’s important to keep in mind that fans are already expecting something even more different. The first two films wrapped up some storylines, but others are still left hanging, and unlike the books, a few changes have been made. So, how can Dune 3 work without completely altering the story in a movie that’s supposed to wrap up the trilogy?
What Is Known About Denis Villeneuve’s Updates On Dune 3?
Denis Villeneuve, a visionary and a huge fan of Dune, seems to have planned the entire trilogy way earlier than anyone thought. Dune and Dune: Part 2 followed the plot of the first book in Frank Herbert’s saga, while Dune 3 — Dune: Messiah — will follow the storyline of the second book, where Paul Atreides becomes the new Emperor.
It turns out that even though the films seemed pretty faithful and complete, some changes had to be made — which is totally normal in the film industry. The big issue is that the director chose to leave out some key elements that will definitely impact the Dune world going forward.
In an interview with Variety, Villeneuve mentioned that the script for the new film was already in progress:
The screenplay is almost finished but it is not finished. It will take a little time. There’s a dream of making a third movie… it would make absolute sense to me.
The production, however, is still a bit uncertain in terms of when it will start, as Villeneuve seems to be taking his time before returning to this universe. During an IMAX presentation for investors this year, a new Dune project by the director was slated for 2026.
Apart from that, in an interview with The New York Times, Villeneuve dropped a few spoilers about what to expect from his vision for the new film. According to him, Chani will have a much bigger role:
That anger [felt by Chani at the end of Part Two] is tremendous. I don’t want to reveal what I’m going to do with the third movie. I know exactly what to do. (…) But there’s a lot of firepower there, and I’m very excited about that decision.
At the end of Dune: Part 2, after watching Paul take the throne, Chani leaves him and heads back to the desert, upset by the religious fanaticism. However, this is a big shift from the second book’s storyline. So, what are the possibilities moving forward?
A Change In Dune: Part 2 That Could Impact Dune 3
Even before the final scenes, it was pretty clear which direction Villeneuve was taking, given the reworked narrative of Alia — Paul’s sister — and the absence of the Spacing Guild, a crucial element in Herbert’s Dune Messiah, for example.
The Guild plays a crucial role in Paul’s government, as it controls space travel entirely, but it has been left out of the second film. It’s not entirely clear why, but maybe Villeneuve chose to focus screen time on more immediate aspects of the story rather than introducing something that wouldn’t become relevant until Dune 3.
The truth is, even though the saga will wrap up in a trilogy, the third film is likely to tell a different story compared to what has been seen so far. Introducing the villain Feyd-Rautha only in the second part, or skipping Chani’s first pregnancy, already hints at the director’s approach to crafting a strong film adaptation.
Alia was also one of the most talked-about changes among fans. Even though she had a significant role at the end of the first book, she only became a major player in the second one. This could suggest that Villeneuve adjusted her presence to focus on key characters for part two, possibly explaining why he didn’t have her born earlier.
There are many theories to explain all the changes, even if they weren’t significant enough to steer the story in a very different direction from the books.
Like it or not, Dune is such a complex saga that adapting it for the big screen and making it appeal to a wide audience is no easy feat — it’s no wonder David Lynch‘s version didn’t hit the mark. Despite this, Villeneuve has done a fantastic job, and fans seem confident that there’s more great stuff to come.
Dune and Dune: Part 2 are available for streaming on Apple TV+ and Max.
