- Dune 3 (otherwise known as Dune: Messiah) is reportedly aiming to roll cameras in mid-2025.
- Aside from the return of Jason Momoa, two key roles have now been cast – one of which, incidentally enough, is being taken on by Momoa’s real-life son.
- We’ll update this article as details surface.
Dune 3 was almost inevitable. To the point that director Denis Villeneuve was already alluding to “words on paper” all the way back in October 2023; and had even slid franchise composer Hans Zimmer a copy of Frank Herbert’s Dune: Messiah while they were still shooting Dune: Part Two.
Now, a little over a year after the confirmation of the threequel’s development, Denis Villeneuve has tapped two fresh faces for the saga ahead: Nakoa-Wolf Momoa (real-life son of franchise co-star Jason Momoa) and Ida Brooke of Silo fame.
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While representatives for Warner Bros and Legendary have declined to comment, according to Deadline, the pair are set to portray Leto II and Ghanima – the twin offspring of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya).
The publication added: “Chalamet and Zendaya are just two of the cast members expected to return for the next Dune film, though a formal announcement on others has yet to be made, even with production expected to soon be underway. Robert Pattinson entered talks for a villain role in the threequel earlier this year, as we were first to report.”
As previously speculated, a mid-late summer start on this production presumably frees up Zendaya, whose upcoming slate is fairly packed between Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Euphoria season 3, and Marvel’s fourth Spider-Man movie. The packed schedules of Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, and the elder Momoa also need to be considered.
Dune: Messiah represents the second of six novels penned by Frank Herbert before the saga was creativelys inherited by his son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson. It takes place 12 years after the conclusion of the debut release and effectively wraps up the Paul Atreides storyline.
[MINOR SPOILERS] After seizing the throne from Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken) with the help of Arrakis’ Fremen and assuming the title of “Muad’Dib,” Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) grapples with the consequences of his ascension. The space jihad he’s exacted has resulted in the deaths of billions. Meanwhile, the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild, and Tleilaxu conspire to destabilise his rule; parallel to a Fremen uprising against him.
[MAJOR SPOILERS] After a failed assassination attempt leaves Paul blind, he embraces the Fremen tradition and wanders the desert alone towards his certain death, thereby regaining the natives’ loyalty for his children with Chani (Zendaya), who will soon inherit his empire under the guidance of his sister Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh). Somewhere in the mix, there’s also a subplot involving a “ghola” clone of swordmaster Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), who becomes romantically involved with Alia.
“If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream,” Denis Villeneuve told Empire.
“Dune: Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning.”
“I want to make sure that if we go back there a third time that it’ll be worth it, and that it would make something even better than Part Two.”
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Beyond Dune 3, however, Frank Herbert’s source material gets a little (read: extremely) weird – even for Villeneuve’s taste – which may prevent any further adapting.
Assuming all the key players sign on to continue, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa’s Leto Atreides II will turn himself into a sandworm hybrid to rule as an immortal god-emperor; the spirit of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) possesses his great-granddaughter/Paul and Chani’s daughter Ghanima (Ida Brooke); and we’ll see endless reincarnations/clones of Duncan Idaho, who eventually proves to be the real Kwisatz Haderach.
Keep an eye out here for future updates on Dune 3 / Dune: Messiah (specific release date, further casting, trailer, etc.).
