“Dune: Part Two” has surpassed industry’s projections for its opening weekend grossing a worldwide total of $178 million. The domestic tally was $81.5 million, while the international’s grosses were $97 million. With such optimistic numbers, many people wonder if there are going to be more sequels for the sci-fi political thriller starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya.
Directed by Denis Villeneuve, “Dune: Part Two” adapts part of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. The film follows the journey of Paul Aitreides (Chalamet), who after being left stranded on the desert of Arrakis alongside his mother (Rebecca Ferguson), finds himself among the Fremen, who think he could be their awaited messiah.
Apart from Chalamet, Ferguson and Zendaya, the sci-fi epic also stars Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, and more. And yes, there are more “Dune” books to adapt. Here’s what Villeneuve has said about a possible third Dune film.
Will there be a third Dune movie?
Villeneuve, who has written and directed the first two films, divided the first book into two parts. But the Canadian director has already confirmed that he has an interest in adapting the second book, “Dune: Messiah.” While Warner Bros. has not yet given the official greenlight for a third film so far, the director has said that he is working on the script.
In an interview with Time, Villeneuve said that “The screenplay is almost finished but it is not finished. It will take a little time […] There’s a dream of making a third movie […] it would make absolute sense to me.” Another member of the crew has also started working on the potential sequel, as composer Hans Zimmer has also started working on the score for the adaptation of “Dune: Messiah.”
Talking to Variety, Zimme revealed that he hasn’t stopped writing music for “Dune” because during the second day of shooting “Part Two,” “Denis wordlessly comes in and puts “Dune: Messiah” on my desk, and I know where we’re going and I know we’re not done,” he said.
However, Villeneuve also told Time that if “Messiah” moves forward, it would be his last movie for the Dune franchise. “’Dune Messiah’ should be the last ‘Dune’ movie for me,” he revealed to the publication.
How many ‘Dune’ books are there?
While Villeneuve would be done with “Messiah,” Herbert’s original series continues with five sequels to “Dune”: “Dune Messiah,” “Children of Dune,” “God Emperor of Dune,” “Heretics of Dune” and “Chapterhouse: Dune.”
After Herbert’s death in 1986, his son Brian Herbert and author Kevin J. Anderson have released several prequel novels, as well as two more sequels, Hunters of Dune (2006) and Sandworms of Dune (2007), to the original series based on Herbert’s notes.
