Denis Villeneuve has revealed there are plans to continue Dune past its second chapter, set for release next year.
The Arrival director, behind the camera of the latest adaptation of Frank Herbert's novel, would be interested in making a third chapter in Paul Atreides's story. This would be based on Dune Messiah, Herbert's direct follow-up to Dune.
"If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream," Villeneuve told Empire.
Related: Dune TV series adds The Crown's Olivia Williams in character recasting
"Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero, which is not what he wanted to do," the filmmaker explained.
"My adaptation [of Dune] is closer to his idea that it's actually a warning."
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Villeneuve confirmed there is some sort of treatment for a third movie at this stage, but no official plans to translate that for the big screen yet.
"I will say, there are words on paper," he said.
Should he succeed in adapting Dune Messiah for the screen, the director would probably stop there and not adapt any of the other books Herbert, and subsequently his son Brian, wrote as a continuation of the main story.
"After that the books become more… esoteric," Villeneuve said.
Related: Dune explained: A beginner's guide to Frank Herbert's Dune
While it isn't clear whether Dune Messiah ever becomes a go, Dune: Part Two is very much on its way, albeit delayed.
Last week, Warner Bros announced a reshuffle of their upcoming slate, with Dune 2 becoming one of the main casualties. The second instalment has been pushed back by four months and is now scheduled to hit cinemas in March 2024 instead of its original slot of November this year.
Dune: Part Two is scheduled to be released in cinemas on March 15, 2024.
Reporter, Digital Spy
Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy.
Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half).
