Dune Screenshot: Warner Bros.
Denis Villeneuve has spoken at length about wanting to cover more of Frank Herbert’s expansive book series in the next Dune sequel, but it looks like he and screenwriter Jon Spaihts are planning to stay on Arrakis even longer.
Villeneuve recently talked about wanting to do a Dune sequel after Dune: Part Two that would focus on the second Dune novel, Dune Messiah. In an interview with The Playlist, Spaihts confirms this plan.
“Dune Messiah begins years after Dune closed, and yes, Denis was seriously talking about making this film as well as the end of the trilogy,” he says. Dune Messiah is a very interesting book that in a way deconstructs Dune and acts as a warning, even more so than Dune, about the dangers of mixing religion and politics, the dangers of following charismatic leaders, and the dangerous struggle that is always alive. between the individual and institutions.
When asked if the second film would hint at what would happen in Dune Messiah, Spaihts replied that he thought it would. He adds: “There are some enticing threads that lead into the future and suggest that we may not be done in this universe yet, despite the fact that the ending of Dune as a novel, which will be the ending of the second film, is a very pleasant conclusion. . There are a number of ways in which the book also sounds ominous, and there are hints of a premonition of what is to come.”
He also talks about the HBO Max Dune series Dune: The Sisterhood. Spahts, who was originally supposed to be showrunner, left to work on Dune, with Diane Ademou-John taking over. Although Spahts notes that he is “not allowed to talk about it much,” he says the series “carries on.”
Although he’s no longer on the show, he says he’s been “transferred to work. Not only about Dune: Part Two, but also about other cinematic perspectives of the Dune universe, so it’s possible that Dune will follow the path of Star Wars with numerous spin-offs and sequels.
Perhaps Villeneuve was right when he said that his Dune would become Star Wars for adults (but come on, man, Star Wars for everyone).