Posted in: Dune, Legendary, Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: dune, dune the sisterhood, dune: part two, legendary, movies, Warner Bros

Dune Writer Talks the TV Show and a Possible Cinematic Universe

This week the first casting rumors for Dune Part Two started to emerge as the first movie goes into the home stretch of the awards season and pre-production kicks into high gear for the start of the second movie. Warner Bros. and Legendary decided not to greenlight the second movie until a few days after the first was in theaters, and they got the chance to see the critical and audience reception along with the box office numbers. That doesn't mean they aren't thinking about Dune in terms of a bigger picture. There is already an HBO Max show in the works, and the rumblings of another movie are back in the works. Writer Jon Spaihts recently did an interview with The Playlist and spoke about how they are thinking about further adaptation beyond Part Two.

Yes. Frank Herbert wrote six novels, I believe, with a seventh partially completed upon his death that was completed preposterously by his son. … "Dune Messiah" is the next book, and it's one of three books with "Dune," "Dune Messiah," and "Children of Dune," that covers the lives of the characters we meet in the first novel. Subsequently, there's a giant leap in time and the series gets stranger and more epic as it carries on. But "Dune Messiah" picks up years after the close of "Dune," and yes, Denis has talked seriously about making that film as well, as a conclusion of the trilogy. Dune Messiah is a very interesting book, which in some ways, deconstructs Dune and plays as a cautionary tale, even more than Dune does, about the dangers of blending religion and politics, the hazards of following charismatic leaders, and the dangerous struggle that's always alive between the individual and institutions.

The screenplay for Dune Part Two is "ongoing," as Spaihts says in this interview, but does say that there could very well be some hints about a third movie and what's to come in Part Two. If they are going to make a third movie, they have to lay the groundwork, after all. However, he does say that the potential for more isn't going to keep Dune Part Two from having its own conclusion.

I think that's right. There are a few tantalizing strands that lead into the future and suggest that we might not be done in this universe, despite the fact that the ending of Dune as a novel, which will be the ending of the second film, is a very satisfying conclusion. There are a number of ways in which the book also sounds ominous notes, and there are hints of foreboding about what made be yet to come.

Spaihts was actually part of that aforementioned TV show on HBO Max but revealed that he got moved off of that to "investigate other cinematic prospects" of this universe. He says that he doesn't know and can't say anything about the process that Dune: The Sisterhood is making, but that, as far as he knows, they are moving along.

Oh, that is carrying on and I'm not allowed to talk about it very much. But that effort is alive and well. I ended up getting moved off of it to work, not just on "Dune: Part Two," but to investigate other cinematic prospects in the "Dune" universe, which we are still talking about and which, again, I'm not allowed to say very much about. But it is a very rich world in which to play, and I think it is ripe with opportunities for storytelling in every direction.

When pushed for what level of development Dune: The Sisterhood is in, Spaihts integrated that they are "well down the road, but I honestly don't know the details of the timing." So it sounds like he doesn't know how far along all of that is. As for Dune Part Two, we should be getting more casting rumors and confirmations as we head into the summer and fall when production is set to start. It's going to be interesting to see if Dune walks away with any awards, it's kind of considered a longshot by many, but it might be the sneaky winner of the year.

Dune Summary: A mythic and emotionally charged hero's journey, "Dune" tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet's exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity's greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Dune, directed by Denis Villeneuve and the film stars Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet ("Call Me by Your Name," "Little Women"), Rebecca Ferguson ("Stephen King's Doctor Sleep," "Mission: Impossible – Fallout"), Oscar Isaac (the "Star Wars" franchise) Oscar nominee Josh Brolin ("Milk," "Avengers: Infinity War"), Stellan Skarsgård (HBO's "Chernobyl," "Avengers: Age of Ultron"), Dave Bautista (the "Guardians of the Galaxy" films, "Avengers: Endgame"), Stephen McKinley Henderson ("Fences," "Lady Bird"), Zendaya ("Spider-Man: Homecoming," HBO's "Euphoria"), Chang Chen ("Mr. Long," "Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon"), David Dastmalchian ("Blade Runner 2049," "The Dark Knight"), Sharon Duncan-Brewster ("Rogue One: A Star Wars Story," Netflix's "Sex Education"), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling ("45 Years," "Assassin's Creed"), with Jason Momoa ("Aquaman," HBO's "Game of Thrones"), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem ("No Country for Old Men," "Skyfall"). Dune opened in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22, 2021. Dune: Part Two will be released on October 20, 2023.

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