The upcoming movie Dune: Part Three is set to follow the events in Frank Herbert’s second Dune novel, Dune Messiah.
The movie sees Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh and Rebecca Ferguson returning to their roles with Robert Pattinson joining the cast. It serves as the “epic conclusion” to director Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy.
It was confirmed in February 2024 that Villeneuve’s work on the Dune franchise would come to an end with the third film.
“Dune Messiah should be the last Dune movie for me,” he said at the time.
Villeneuve told Empire Magazine that a trilogy would be “the dream” during an August 2024 interview.
“Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero, which is not what [Herbert] wanted to do,” Villeneuve said. “My adaptation [of Dune] is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning.”
Keep scrolling for everything to know about the Dune Messiah book:
What Happens in the ‘Dune Messiah’ Book?
Let’s back up. The first two Dune films — released in 2021 and 2024, respectively — are based on the first of Herbert’s novels. The third film is set to follow the events of the second novel, Dune Messiah, which takes place 12 years after the first book.
Paul Atreides (played by Chalamet) has been the Emperor for 12 years, accepting his role as the Fremen messiah. He faces a conspiracy started by the Bene Gesserit, Spacing Guild and Tleilaxu to dethrone him. During a fight, Paul gets blinded (although he still has oracle powers), which triggers the end of his reign.
How Does the ‘Dune Messiah’ Book End?
Spoiler alert. Chani (played by Zendaya) dies in this book after giving birth to twins. After a beating and a threat to his children, Paul loses his power of sight and is rendered completely blind. He follows the Fremen tradition of walking into the desert to die alone. His son will inherit the emperor title.
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How Many ‘Dune’ Books Are There?
There are a total of six Dune novels written by Herbert. Following the author’s death in 1986, the series has been continued.
Will There Be More ‘Dune’ Movies?
While Villeneuve will be stepping away from the franchise following the third Dune film, the director is leaving the door open for others to continue.
“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,” he said during a September 2024 interview with Vanity Fair. “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.”
