Dune director's stunning admission about potential third movie after fans disappointed by huge announcement

Dune director Denis Villeneuve has opened up about the possibility of the movie franchise continuing past the third instalment .

The upcoming third film was originally thought to be the last but now Villeneuve has admitted that what he is working on will not be a completion of a trilogy in his eyes. It was already confirmed in April that Dune Messiah is in development following the huge success of Dune: Part 2 at the Box Office which saw the film gross $711 million worldwide.

Now Villeneuve has admitted that while the third movie will be his last, it does not mean another director cannot continue the story. Speaking on Vanity Fair’s Little Gold Men podcast he said: “First, it’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych.

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“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.”

Dune Messiah will jump 12 years into the future from the events of the first novel. This will mean as big jump in age for existing cast members Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh. When asked his plans surrounding the age jump Villeneuve simply stated “I know how to do that” not giving anything away.

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He has in the past expressed his desire to make the third movie, but for it to be his last. Frank Herbert’s novels that the movies are adapted from continue on past the three films and while Villeneuve doesn't have a vision for that continuation he has said he is happy if another director does.

He said: “Listen, if ‘Dune: Messiah’ happens, it will have been many years for me on Arrakis, and I would love to do something else. I think that it would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in ‘Messiah,’ there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books.

"They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”

Any continuation could see the movies take a different direction and have different casting as Zendaya previously admitted the director was part of the reason she was on board with the movies. She told Fandango: “Any time Denis calls it’s a yes from me. I’m excited to see what happens. I started ‘Messiah’ and I was like, ‘Woah, I’m only shooting the first movie. Let me just go back to the first one.’ It’s so much to take in, but there’s no better hands with better care and love for it than Denis.”

She added: “I’m just excited to see … It’s just anticipation. Whenever he is ready. He’s a perfectionist in many ways and doesn’t want to share things until they’re ready. So I’m respecting that and waiting until he’s ready.”

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