Denis Villeneuve has announced that his break is finished and he’ll return to directing sooner than expected to work on the third part of his deep dive into Frank Herbert’s Dune universe. “I’m focused on writing right now,” the filmmaker shared, mentioning Dune: Messiah, though he didn’t officially call it Dune: Part Three.
Villeneuve explains that for him, Dune: Part One and Part Two are “like one complete story. It’s a single movie split into two parts. It’s finished now.”
The Canadian-French director shared that he could have ended with Dune: Part Two, but he believes it would be exciting to do something new, just like Herbert did with Dune: Messiah.
Villeneuve says the new movie “will bring Paul Atreides’ story to a close.”
This will mark the end of Villeneuve’s work with the Dune universe, even though Herbert wrote four more Dune sequels after Dune: Messiah. He confirms that Timothée Chalamet will return as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as the Fremen warrior Chani, and Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy will return.
When asked when Dune: Messiah might start filming, he quietly says, “2026,” looking slightly puzzled.
“These movies take a long time to make, so it’s better if I don’t say when I’ll start filming,” Villeneuve says, glancing at his longtime publicist Bebe Lerner from ID PR, who has positioned herself where he can see her. “Apparently, I’m supposed to stay quiet,” he laughs.
Dune: Part Two is a rare mix of artistic brilliance and blockbuster appeal. Its success, though different, reminds me of the impact The Godfather Part II had, both artistically and at the box office. The film’s intimate moments within its grand scope also echo the feel of Lawrence of Arabia, both of which won Best Picture.
Villeneuve, now busy with awards season for the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures film, welcomes the comparison. He explains,
The key idea, he says, is the Fremen’s wish to turn their barren homeland into fertile land, which he finds even more relevant today than when Herbert first wrote the story.
Villeneuve found the clash of cultures in Herbert’s story fascinating, especially the political struggles and how Paul Atreides grew up through his connection with Chani, a young woman from a different culture.
What drew him to the novel was seeing Paul discover a new culture and find himself within it. “It’s beautiful how a young man can form his identity in a different culture,” Villeneuve reflects.
He admits he loves the characters, especially watching Paul fall in love with Chani. But the tragedy is that politics will pull Paul back to his old life, forcing him to betray the love of his life.
Villeneuve describes the story as “very intimate,” yet it expands the entire scope of the movie. He shares that creating the worlds for the film with production designer Patrice Vermette, whom he first worked with on Prisoners, was exciting.
“World-building is fun,” Villeneuve says. He focused on showing the depth of the tribes’ cultures without words, so viewers could feel their customs and way of thinking. Making any movie is challenging, he adds, but blockbusters take several years of “long journeys and long hours.”
Villeneuve explains that he needs to work with people he can trust for the next few years.
His top rule is simple:
For Villeneuve, his version of a chemistry read is what he calls “the coffee test.”
Villeneuve shares that before starting a project, he meets with actors for tea or coffee. “It’s the ‘coffee test,’ and it’s more important than any audition,” he says, as it helps him understand who they are.
He jokes about the thousands of names in Dune: Part Two’s end credits, estimating that around 3,000 to 4,000 people worked on the film, which is why strong department heads are essential. In addition to preparing for Dune: Messiah, Villeneuve is exploring other projects, including a long-term Cleopatra movie based on Stacy Schiff’s biography, with Krysty Wilson-Cairns writing the screenplay.
Dune: Part Two will return to select Los Angeles theaters from October 20-25 for a limited run.
The movie was first released in February, and Villeneuve has been traveling across Europe and the U.S. to remind awards-season voters that Dune: Part Two is a strong contender among many great films, though there’s no clear favorite yet. Everything is still up for grabs.
Source: Deadline