Director Denis Villeneuve’s first two Dune movies adapt the first novel in the series, and Dune: Part Three news confirms that he will adapt the second, Dune: Messiah. The Dune story has been adapted into movie and miniseries forms in the past, but Villeneuve’s approach has turned the heady sci-fi/fantasy series into a bona fide Hollywood blockbuster.
Dune: Part Two’s impressive box office performance not only validates Villeneuve’s vision for the franchise but also makes another film an absolute necessity. Dune: Part Three could be a fitting cap to the trilogy, as it would allow the Paul Atreides storyline to run its course without running up against the stranger aspects of the Dune book series found in later installments.
The first two novels center on the character of Paul Atreides, the crux of Villeneuve’s story. The character, played by Timotheé Chalamet, is at the heart of the film’s success, and Villeneuve’s adaptation has been praised for its faithfulness to the original material.
Villeneuve’s next installment, Dune: Part Three, is set to be released on May 7, 2026, with Jon Spaihts writing the script and John Harrison, Mary Parent, Richard P. Rubinstein, Thomas Tull, and Tanya Lapointe producing. The film will conclude the trilogy, which has received widespread critical acclaim and commercial success.