Posted in: Dune, Legendary, Movies, Warner Bros | Tagged: denis villeneuve, duen: part two, dune: messiah

If Dune: Messiah Happens It Has To Be "Better" Than Part Two

Dune: Part Two director Denis Villeneuve says that if Dune: Messiah happens "it's going to be better than Part Two. Otherwise, I don't do it."

Dune: Part Two has crossed $500 million at the worldwide box office and will likely continue to do decent numbers for at least a couple more weeks. It's been pretty clear from well before this film was released that director Denis Villeneuve has also been thinking about adapting Dune: Messiah. We heard about it as early as August of last year, but many have said that Villeneuve was talking about the film while production of Dune: Part Two was starting. So it sounds like everyone is ready to go when Villeneuve is ready, but he doesn't appear ready just yet. While speaking to Empire recently, he explained, "If we go back, it needs to be real, it needs to be relevant, if ever I do Dune Messiah, [it's] because it's going to be better than Part Two. Otherwise, I don't do it."

Dune: Messiah Needs A "Strong" Screenplay

Villeneuve hasn't been shy about the fact that he isn't jumping into Dune: Messiah right away. He has several other projects in varying development levels that need to happen, and the movie hasn't even officially been greenlit yet. However, he explained that while shooting Parts One and Two made sense, it was a years-long project, and he wants to make sure the screenplay for Dune: Messiah is "strong" before the film happens.

"I did both movies back-to-back, which makes absolute sense for me," he says. "I felt that it was a good idea to move forward right after Part One. We were already designing, writing et cetera. But it also meant that for six years, I was on Arrakis non-stop, and I think it will be healthy to step back a little bit. First, make sure that we have a strong screenplay. The thing I want to avoid is not having something ready. I never did it, and now I feel it could be dangerous because of the enthusiasm. We need to make sure all the ideas are on paper."

Anyone who has read Dune: Messiah knows that a pretty significant time jump happens, so putting some time between Dune: Part Two and an adaptation of the book isn't bad for anyone involved. We have spoken a lot about not rushing projects; nothing good comes from a rushed project. Just because Villeneuve has hinted that the screenplay might be almost finished, that doesn't mean it's production-ready. That means the first draft is done, and giving him the time he needs to make sure that adaptation, which might be even more challenging to pull off than the first book, works is the right move.

Dune: Part Two – Summary, Cast List, Release Date

The saga continues as award-winning filmmaker Denis Villeneuve embarks on Dune: Part Two, the next chapter of Frank Herbert's celebrated novel Dune, with an expanded all-star international ensemble cast. The film, from Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Pictures, is the highly anticipated follow-up to 2021's six-time Academy Award-winning Dune.

The big-screen epic continues the adaptation of Frank Herbert's acclaimed bestseller Dune with returning and new stars, including Oscar nominee Timothée Chalamet (Wonka, Call Me by Your Name), Zendaya (Spider-Man: No Way Home, Malcolm & Marie, Euphoria), Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning), Oscar nominee Josh Brolin (Avengers: End Game, Milk), Oscar nominee Austin Butler (Elvis, Once Upon A Time…In Hollywood), Oscar nominee Florence Pugh (Black Widow, Little Women), Dave Bautista (the Guardians of the Galaxy films, Thor: Love and Thunder), Oscar winner Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter, Hairspray), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences, Lady Bird), Léa Seydoux (the James Bond franchise and Crimes of the Future), with Stellan Skarsgård (the Mamma Mia! films, Avengers: Age of Ultron), with Oscar nominee Charlotte Rampling (45 Years, Assassin's Creed), and Oscar winner Javier Bardem (No Country for Old Men, Being the Ricardos).

Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee. Dune: Part Two was released on March 1, 2024, worldwide release from Warner Bros. Pictures.

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