Will there be a Dune: Part 3? Will Messiah novel be made into film sequel, what has Denis Villeneuve said

Dune: Part II is coming to cinemas on Friday (March 1) and it is already projected to do well at the box office and could become the highest grossing film of the year so far, but fans already want to know if Dune 3 is happening.

The movie boasts a huge cast of stars including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Dave Bautista, Rebecca Ferguson, and many more, making it a huge cinematic event. The sci-fi sequel is adapted from the second half of Frank Herbert's first Dune novel, published in 1965, but it is far from the end of the Dune story.

Herbert wrote six Dune novels between 1965 and 1985, whilst his son Brian collaborated with sci-fi author Kevin J. Anderson on a raft of prequels. But will there be another Dune film, and which book would it be based on - this is what we know so far.

Is Dune 3 happening?

Warner Bros have not officially confirmed that a third Dune movie is happening, however, Dune 1 and 2 director Denis Villeneuve has dropped several positive hints.

Villeneuve, who was nominated for two Oscars, Baftas, and Golden Globes for his work on Dune, said that he is currently working a script for a third instalment, having previously adapted Frank Herbert’s first Dune novel into the first two films.

He suggested that the next film would be an adaptation of Herbert’s second novel in the series, Dune: Messiah. Villeneuve said: “I always thought Dune Messiah would be a powerful film. I always saw a trilogy.”

Messiah is less than half the length of the first Dune book, which is why Villeneuve only plans to make it into one film. 

What is the plot of Dune: Messiah?

Dune Messiah continues the story of Paul Atreides, who has become known as Muad'Dib, now Emperor of the universe. Paul is now worshipped as a religious figure by the Fremen but faces opposition from the powerful houses he damaged when he claimed emperorship.

Those who plot against Paul hope to attack him through his lover Chani, who is pregnant with the heir to the Atreides dynasty.

Messiah has previously been adapted into the first episode of the 2003 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries, Children of Dune, which also adapted the fourth of Frank Herbet’s Dune novels.

Who could be in the cast of Dune Messiah?

Three main characters from Dune who also feature in Messiah are Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet in Dune), Chani (played by Zendaya), and Princess Irulan (played by Florence Pugh).

However, Dune Messiah is set around 12 years after the events of Dune, so it is possible that the stars who feature in both adaptations would need to be played by different older actors in Messiah. As the film has not yet been confirmed, the cast is not yet known.

There is one surprise star who could return in Messiah (spoiler alert) Duncan Idaho, played by Jason Momoa in the 2021 film, is killed protecting Paul, but in Messiah the warrior is raised from the dead. In this case, it would make sense for Momoa to reprise the role as he won’t have aged, being dead during the 12 year interim.

When could Dune 3 be released?

Dune Messiah doesn’t have an official release date as Warner Bros has still not greenlit the sequel - however, if Part II does well at the box office it’s likely that the third instalment will be confirmed soon.

With the script already in progress, the movie could go into production later this year. As Part II was set for release just over two years after the first film, and was only delayed because of the SAG-AFTRA strikes, it is possible that Messiah could be released around April 2026.