Denis Villeneuve says his “break” is over and that he will ”go back behind the camera faster than I think” to film the third ‘Dune’ instalment.
The Quebecois filmmaker is telling Deadline’s Baz Bamigboye that “Dune: Messiah” will start shooting in “2026.” The schedule seems to have shifted a bit since we last heard an update. ‘Messiah’ was originally rumored to shoot in 2025, but it now looks like Zendaya’s schedule is completely booked next year with “Euphoria” and “Spider-Man 4” shooting back-to-back.
“I’m in the writing zone right now,” Vileneuve tells Bamigboye, referring ‘Dune: Messiah.’ He adds that the main actors on the third film will be Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Villeneuve had originally said that ‘Messiah’ would not be his next film. However, back in June THR reported that Villeneuve might have had a change of heart, and he now wanted to complete the ‘Dune’ trilogy by 2026. He’s currently working on the script and locking the cast. It’s the project that Villeneuve is currently working on.
It went as far as Warner Bros. recently dating an upcoming untitled film from Villeneuve, set for release on December 18th, 2026 on their calendar. Being touted as “an event film,” no further details were given. That film was by all accounts ‘Dune 3,’ but as I mentioned above, due to scheduling conflicts, we’re now looking at a 2027 release date.
It’ll be very interesting to see exactly how Villeneuve will attempt to pull off “Dune: Messiah.” Frank Herbert’s sequel is not as audience friendly as the first book. If Villeneuve sticks to the source material, it would be a very different film than the first two. Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, now a powerful dictator, would not be the least bit likable. The storytelling isn’t blockbuster material — more solemn, less action.
Netflix and Skydance Animation have also called it quits. The two sides announced Monday that they're ending the animated film deal struck back in 2023, framing it as a mutual decision.