Denis Villeneuve Looking To Shoot DUNE: MESSIAH This Summer
It looks like director Denis Villeneuve is looking to jump into production on Dune: Messiah this summer.
According to Deadline, the creative team is in pre-production and has been prepping for a while behind the scenes to try to get things ready for the summer shoot, which could start in July or August.
The filmmaker shared that the subject of war would be at the center of the Dune: Messiah adding that in Dune: Part Two, “in order to save his friends, [Paul Atredies] has to start a war.”
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Anya Taylor-Joy would all be returning to the sequel. Taylor-Joy's Alia Atreides was introduced very briefly in Dune: Part Two. We can expect several other actors to return to the franchjise as well.
Villenueve previously said: "They have to return. They are with the main cast when it happens, and more worms. What can I say?"
Frank Herbert’s Dune: Messiah takes place 12 years after the events of the first book and follows Paul Atreides, now Emperor of the Known Universe. Paul's rule is marked by political intrigue, religious fervor, and the consequences of his prescient visions.
As he navigates the complexities of his position, Paul faces challenges from various factions, including the powerful Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, who seek to control his bloodline.
Amidst this turmoil, Paul's relationship with his wife, Chani, and his young children adds a personal dimension to his struggles.
The filmmaker previously drew comparisons to Paul Atreides and The Godfather's Michael Corleone, and talked about his relationship with Chani, saying: "He betrayed her in many ways.”
“But the big thing for Chani is that it’s not about love. It’s about the fact that he becomes the figure that will keep the Fremen in their mental jail.”
He explained: “A leader that is not there to free the Fremen, but to control them. That’s the tragedy of all tragedies. Like the Michael Corleone of sci-fi, he becomes what he wanted to avoid. And he will try to find a way to save his soul in the third part."
Villeneuve also talked about Chani's feelings towards Paul, saying: "That anger is tremendous. I don’t want to reveal what I’m going to do with the third movie.”
He went on to tease: “I know exactly what to do. I’m writing it right now. But there’s a lot of firepower there and I’m very excited about that decision.”
The director also talked about how the third film will be different from the first two, saying: “First, it’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych.
“It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”
He continued: “Listen, if Dune: Messiah happens, it will have been many years for me on Arrakis, and I would love to do something else. I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books.
“They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”
Dune: Messiah will be the last film that Villeneuve makes in the franchise.
