Every few years a science-fiction franchise is brought to theaters, and becomes wildly popular with moviegoers. Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is definitely in that category, and is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. After the ending of Dune 2 and its wild success in theaters, fans are already wondering about a third movie, based off the novel Messiah. And the filmmaker recently explained how Zendaya’s character Chani is influencing the threequel.
The cast of Dune 2 was seriously stacked, thanks to A-list talent like Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and (of course) Zendaya. The latter played Chani, the Fremen love interest of Paul Atreides. She, along with the audience, was disappointed when Timothée Chalamet’s character declared himself Lisan al Gaib and became engaged to Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan. In a conversation with the NY Times, Villeneuve explained how Zendaya’s performance is impacting the future of the franchise, sharing:
That anger [felt by Zendaya’s character 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. I’m writing it right now. But there’s a lot of firepower there, and I’m very excited about that decision
Well, that’s intriguing. It sounds like while Denis Villeneuve always wanted Dune 3 to happen, his approach may be influenced by what actors like Zendaya brought to the previous two installments. As a reminder, you can re-watch the 2021 movie with a Max subscription.
While Villeneuve clearly is hyped about his upcoming sci-fi movie, it’s currently a mystery as to exactly when work on Dune 3 will start. Technically Warner Bros. hasn’t officially greenlit the project, but it feels inevitable after Dune 2‘s box office success. The studio did the same thing before announcing the Part Two, so it seems like only a matter of time.
While Timothée Chalamet plays protagonist Paul in the Dune franchise, the ending of Part Two made it clear that he’s no hero. After being accepted by the Fremen he ended up leveraging their belief that he’s the Lisan al Gaib in order to get revenge on House Harkonnen. Despite what he said to Chani, as well as his visions of a religious war, he ended up abandoning his principles to take on the most power possible. And he’ll seemingly be the cause for massive death and destruction.
From the sounds of it, Dune 3, or Dune Messiah as it may be titled, will reveal what atrocities come to life as a result of Paul’s decision to put power and vengeance above his morals. And I’m eager to see if he and Chani end up on opposing forces as a result of his betrayal.
Dune: Part Two can be rented or purchased for home viewing now. Check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience.
