Dune 3 officially in development, Denis Villeneuve back to direct

We’ve been talking about it for several months already, the rumors in the corridors were intensifying, and today it’s official: the studio Legendary Pictures has confirmed that it is indeed in the process of developing the film Dune 3with Denis Villeneuve returning to direct and write the screenplay.

See you in 2027?

This third film will be the adaptation of the book The Messiah of Dunepublished in 1969. This is the second installment of the Dune Cycle by author Frank Herbert, which takes place 14 years after the events of the first.

At the time of the release of Dune: part twowell before this officialization, director Denis Villeneuve had already revealed that he had completed the script for this “Dune 3”, which he sees as a mirror work of the first two films: “The Messiah of Dune was written because people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. This is not what he wanted to be. My adaptation of Dune is closer to the idea of ​​the warning.”

The critical and public success of Dune: part two, which has just exceeded $630 million at the worldwide box office, left little doubt about the arrival of this sequel, which calls for others. The universe of Dune – which has developed in a multitude of novels since its creation by Herbert in 1965 – represents a real gold mine for Warner Bros., which intends to continue to make the science fiction franchise profitable.

No release date has been announced for the moment, but rumors point to a potential arrival of the film in theaters in 2027. A (too) optimistic date, since Denis Villeneuve wishes to direct another film before returning to Arrakis.

Villeneuve in the middle of nuclear war

And the Quebec director has already found his next project. This will be an adaptation of the book Nuclear War: A Scenario by Annie Jacobsen, finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in 2024.

The book explores what would happen today in the event of nuclear war, based on dozens of interviews with civilian and military experts briefed on response plans.

Denis Villeneuve is currently in negotiations to write and direct this adaptation, still in collaboration with the studio Legendary Pictures. To be continued.