Denis Villeneuve wants to direct another film before focusing on Dune Messiah

Denis Villeneuve wants to direct another film before focusing on Dune Messiah – although the script for the third installment is almost finished, the director wants to rest a little before returning to this world.

By Megan Sauer

The sequel to Dune was one of the most anticipated releases for the end of 2023, but the strikes in Hollywood changed the agenda of the production company that decided to release it until March 2024.

Denis Villeneuve ‘s adaptation convinced fans of the original novel and to the general public, so the screenwriter also got to work immediately on the sequels, with a third installment almost certain. Despite this, the next film in the franchise could take several years to see the light of day, as the director wants to take a break from this world.

‘Duna’ was a novel impossible to adapt

Due to its length, its complex references, and everything that is needed on a technical level to bring to life the world created by Frank Herbert , the literary saga was considered impossible to adapt for many years.

Hollywood had a great interest in proving the opposite, but Alejandro Jodorowsky couldn’t go far and David Lynch failed and put his career at risk with Dunas.

On television, the idea worked better because the public did not expect great effects and it became a cult title, but the industry was still waiting for the big film adaptation.

The director of Blade Runner 2049 was aware of this, as he wanted to be the next to try his luck with the material. Things would not be simple because, despite the interest of the production companies, not everyone would approve such a high budget.

In 2011, Legendary Pictures acquired the rights to the novel, but they knew they couldn’t fail fans by making radical changes to the plot or deviating too much from the original work, so they waited for the right creative to come along. This happened in 2016, when Villeneuve was in charge of the film and spoke publicly about his dream of working on Duna.

He brought to Warner Bros. the idea of adapting the first novel in two parts in order to cover all the necessary bases with the fans, something that this other production company approved, ensuring that they would not give the green light to the sequel if the first installment was not a clear success at the box office.

Villeneuve was able to work on the adaptation of it with a budget of US$165 million, less than other films of the style, but enough to prove that he could meet expectations.

Despite its complicated release during the global pandemic, and the director’s annoyance at having a dual release on HBO Max, the film was a success with fans.

New audiences and critics, which was enough to give it the green light to a sequel that would become a priority for the company that also decided to prepare a series and other possible spin-offs for a complete universe. It could be said that Villeneuve’s dream was fulfilled and more than fulfilled, but he does not want to allow himself to be easily absorbed by this wave that could stagnate him creatively.

The script for ‘Dune 3’ is almost ready, but the director wants to take a break

During a press conference to promote Dune: Part Two in South Korea (via Variety), Denis Villeneuve confirmed that the script for the next installment is almost ready, but it will not be the next film he will work on. For my mental sanity I could do something in between, but my dream would be to go to this planet that I love for the last time, he said.

The first installments only adapt the original novel, and the plan would be to continue with Dune Messiah , which ends Paul’s story and opens the doors to a new generation of protagonists. Villeneuve seems interested in following this complicated character to the end, but he has no intention of continuing to adapt the rest of the saga.

After Herbert’s death, the story was left in the hands of his son, Brian Herbert , and writer Kevin J. Anderson , who changed some things from the original canon and added many more elements that the production company could use for future films and series in their hands. from other creators.