Director Denis Villeneuve is already planning on returning to Arrakis after Dune Part Two to finalize the series as a trilogy– but not without going into hiatus. In the sequel Part Two, which arrives soon to theaters on March 24, 2024, Timothée Chalamet returns to continue the story of Paul Atreides as he leads the battle against the evil Harkonnen empire. Villeneuve explains to Variety that the second installment will be richer with high-octane scenes and intensified emotions the first one lacked. He expressed his excitement for the upcoming sequel and didn’t hold back from sharing his interest in adapting a third Dune film from Frank Herbert’s follow-up 1969 novel Dune Messiah. 

Dune 3, according to Villeneuve, is already in the works, with the screenplay almost finished but needing more time. The gap between making Dune and Dune: Part Two was narrow, but that won’t be the case for Messiah. “I don’t know exactly when I will go back to Arrakis,” Villeneuve told Variety. “I might make a detour before just to go away from the sun. For my mental sanity, I might do something in between, but my dream would be to go a last time on this planet that I love.” Exploring Herbert’s sci-fi world might have damaged Villeneuve’s sanity, but his confidence in the new film is enough to greenlight a third one. Taking place years after the first book, Messiah focuses on Paul Atreides grappling with difficult choices in securing the universe’s future. In the meantime, Villeneuve will grapple with the third film’s future based on Part Two’s performance.