While the first spectators have already been able to discover the second episode of “Dune” directed by Denis Villeneuve at the cinema, can we hope for a sequel? Denis Villeneuve spoke on the subject.
The Dune madness has had a tidal wave in France. For the day of its cinema release, this Wednesday, February 28, nearly 260,811 admissions have already been recorded. Critics, like the public, are totally won over by the second part of the blockbuster directed by Denis Villeneuve, the feature film obtaining scores of 4.1/5 from the press and 4.5/5 from spectators on the Allociné site.
Such success may raise questions about the upcoming release of a third part retracing the destiny of Paul Atreides on Arrakis. Denis Villeneuve confirmed that he was going to work on a sequel, which would adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah: “Of course we want to shoot a third film,” the filmmaker confirmed at Time.
However, fans will certainly be disappointed to learn that if a third episode of the Dune saga will indeed see the light of day, it is not planned for right away. The director doesn’t “want to rush.” According to him, “the danger in Hollywood is that people get excited and they only think about release dates, not about quality.” We will have to wait for more details, in particular the start date of production, before knowing the release date of this Dune 3 in the cinema.
But don’t panic, because we will find the universe of Dune soon on the screens. A spin-off series from Frank Herbert’s work centered on the Bene Gesserit, entitled The Prophecy, is due out in fall 2024 on the Max streaming platform. Denis Villeneuve will “only” be a producer, while we will recognize the actors Emily Watson, Indira Varma and Travis Fimmel in the casting.
Denis Villeneuve also confirmed that he did not wish to make a fourth episode centered on Dune, and that his work on the work of Frank Herbert will stop with this third film planned in a few years. “I’m frankly afraid of other books because they become quite esoteric and more difficult to adapt,” he explained to the media Inverse. If Warner Bros ever intends to continue the adventures of its protagonists on Arrakis, the director has already made it known that he will hand over to another filmmaker.
