Dune Director Addresses Complicated Messiah Time Jump and Why Series Isn't a Trilogy

Dune: Part Two was undeniably one of this year's biggest movies, helping realize Frank Herbert's novel onscreen in some beautiful and unexpected ways. A number of plot details from the film, particularly the brief flash-forward to Alia Atredies (Anya Taylor-Joy) years into the future , have laid the groundwork for the franchise to expand even further. While a hypothetical third film in the franchise, titled Dune: Messiah , has not been officially greenlit or dated by Warner Bros. Pictures , franchise director Denis Villeneuve has expressed his plans to adapt the new story. In a recent interview with Vanity Fair , Villeneuve confirmed that he doesn't see the potential trio of films as a true trilogy , especially considering how different Messiah is from the events of the first book.

"First, It's important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych," Villeneuve revealed. "It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That's done and that's finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it's not like a trilogy. It's strange to say that, but if I go back there, it's to do something that feels different and has its own identity."

When asked specifically about Messiah 's 12-year time jump , Villeneuve confirmed that he has a plan in place to account for aging up his ensemble cast, remarking, "That's my problem. I know how to do that."

Will There Be a Dune 3 ?

Following the release of this year's Dune: Part Two , fans have been curious to see if and how the franchise will continue on the big screen . Villeneuve has teased that a script for Messiah exists, and that he is focusing on telling the best possible distillation of the source material. Fans have speculated that Dune: Messiah will be released on December 18, 2026, which is currently held by Warner Bros. for an unknown movie's release date.

"I'm working on four different screenplays -- I know that Dune: Messiah will be one of them, I don't know if it will be the next or the second next," Villeneuve shared in an interview earlier this year . "My job was to try to keep the spirit of Frank Herbert alive as much as possible -- the whole meaning of Dune becomes clear with Dune: Messiah ."