Film director Denis Villeneuve plans to step away after completing “Dune: Messiah,” the adaptation of Frank Herbert’s second novel. Villeneuve has expressed that he is not interested in adapting the later novels in Herbert’s six-part series due to their increasing complexity and obscurity.
“Dune: Messiah” is set to begin filming this year, with a tentative release date in 2026.
Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are reportedly preparing to expand the “Dune” universe, building on Villeneuve’s acclaimed movies. Villeneuve is currently focused solely on directing “Dune: Messiah.”
Having achieved great success with “Dune” and its sequel “Dune: Part Two,” Villeneuve announced that he would step away after completing “Dune: Messiah.” Sources indicate that Villeneuve is not keen on adapting later novels like “Children of Dune” and “God Emperor of Dune” because of their complexity.
Despite this, Warner Bros. seems determined to expand the “Dune” saga with more movies and potentially a sequel TV series, extending the universe beyond Villeneuve’s vision. Although their streaming series “Dune: Prophecy” did not match the success of the films, it still gained decent viewership, further fueling Warner Bros.’ ambitions.
Villeneuve’s “Dune: Messiah” is expected to begin filming this year with a tentative release date in 2026, offering fans even more to look forward to.
