THE Denis Villeneuve he revealed that he is ready to return to directing for the third chapter sand dunesthe Dunne: Messiahmuch earlier than expected, with production starting in 2026.
The director had planned to take a longer break after Dunne: Part Two, but it seems that plans have changed. He specifically said:
I would say that I thought I would take a break after Part Two, go to the woods and stay there for a while to recover. But the forest wasn’t so good for me and I’ll be back behind the camera sooner than I thought. But that’s all I can tell you.
Villeneuve explained that he is already in the writing phase of Dunne: Messiah, although he stopped short of calling it Dunne: Part Three. For him, Part One and Part Two are a standalone film in two parts, but Messiah will be something completely different, as it takes place 12 years after the events of the second film.
The main cast returns for Dunne: Messiah, with Timothée Chalametthe Zendayathe Florence Pugh and her Anna Taylor-Joy repeat their roles. Villeneuve revealed that the story will continue with the journey of Paul Atreides, completing his narrative.
Despite initially expecting a longer stay, Villeneuve’s quick return to Dunne’s world is welcome for fans. Although Dunne: Messiah will mark the end of Paul’s story, Villeneuve made it clear that this is likely to be his last work in the life of Frank Herbert, despite the fact that the author wrote more books after Messiah.
We don’t have a release date right now, but Villeneuve’s quick return should only add to the excitement for the next chapter in this epic story.