Denis Villeneuve's ‘Dune: Messiah' Starts Production in August 2025

Here’s a report from Daniel Richtman that claims Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Messiah” will start production in August 2025. I trust Richtman with this one since, much like myself, he gets grids in advance and has been right on that front quite a few times.

So, yes, in all likelihood, “Dune: Messiah” is Villeneuve’s next film despite the filmmaker stating, multiple times, that it wouldn’t be. Yesterday, Deadline and THR reported that Villeneuve might have had a “change of heart,” and that he now wants to complete the ‘Dune’ trilogy by 2026. He’s currently working on the script and locking the cast.

Recently, Villeneuve sat down for an in-depth interview with the Empire Podcast, and, when asked about “Dune: Messiah,” mentioned that he would only shoot the film once a “strong screenplay” is produced.

I’d be very curious to know exactly how Villeneuve will attempt to pull off “Dune: Messiah.” Frank Herbert’s source material 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. Good luck, Denis.

Not everyone seems to have realized that these first two ‘Dune’ films are not a “hero’s journey,” but more like a villain’s origin story. This ain’t ‘Star Wars.’ In ‘Messiah,’ Herbert tears down everything he built in the first novel, and where Paul finally ends up is really something to behold. It will be very hard to translate it into a tentpole blockbuster.

As you can tell, “Dune: Messiah” will present an immense challenge for Villeneuve — does he piss off the book’s fans or the token moviegoer? It could wind up that he angers both of these camps.

“Dune: Messiah” will be released in theaters on December 18, 2026.