Dune 3 Confirmed To Be In Development

It is confirmed that Legendary is working on Dune: Part Three. The first two Dune movies, directed by Denis Villeneuve, received high praise from critics when they were initially released. Part One, however, did poorly at the box office due to a day-and-date streaming release and a jaded public, but Part Two more than made up for it with a fantastic performance. With $630.2 million earned at the global box office thus far, it is the highest-grossing film of 2023 as of this writing.

According to a recent Deadline article, Dune: Part Three is now formally under development. Along with the news of Villeneuve’s upcoming movie, Nuclear War: A Scenario was disclosed as the project that will follow his adaptation of Dune Messiah. The director has long stated that his intention was to adapt the second book in Frank Herbert’s science fiction series, and Villeneuve has already hinted that work on a script has started.

Warner Bros. hasn’t given Villeneuve the go-ahead to adapt Dune Messiah, despite the fact that it had appeared highly likely. Before Part One was released in 2021, Villeneuve expressed his open intention to make three Dune movies in total, and he has already started work on some parts of Part Three. In a 2023 interview, lead actor Timothée Chalamet even went so far as to tease a significant aspect of the Messiah story.

However, Villeneuve has been more cautious when talking about a possible third film after the release of Dune: Part Two in early March. During the opening weekend of Part Two, he acknowledged that he is still working on the script, referring to it as “barely an embryo.” He later said that he would only film the movie if “it’s going to be better than Part Two.” This is a very high bar given the enthusiastic reception Dune: Part Two received, but Villeneuve’s history already speaks highly for Part Three’s chances.

Although the announcement that Dune: Part Three is now in development does not necessarily mean that it has been given the go-ahead, it is a very good beginning. Villeneuve’s next moves will probably be to wrap up the script and work with his creative team to make sure they have the means and know-how to effectively adapt it. Given that Warner Bros.’s previous two films were huge hits, it seems inevitable that the company will eventually approve Dune: Part Three. If anything, Villeneuve’s confidence in the content will determine whether or not he feels good about the film.

Given that the source states that Villeneuve’s adaptation of Nuclear War will follow Dune: Part Three, it appears that Legendary and the director are giving the Messiah film a higher priority. However, Villeneuve has also indicated that he would want to work on another film before making another journey to Arrakis, so it’s likely that Dune: Part Three won’t be released until 2027 at the latest. However, the project’s entry into development indicates that there is sincere desire to see it through, therefore the Dune franchise is in a very good place.

Source: screenrant.com