Summary
- Dune franchise expanding with new installments in TV and film, starting with successful Villeneuve adaptations.
- Prophecy prequel series delves into Bene Gesserit origins, with renowned cast and production team.
- Potential for Dune: Messiah as Villeneuve’s third Dune film to follow strong critical and commercial success.
The Dune The franchise has several new installments lined up, some of which have already been confirmed while others are in the early stages of development. Based on Frank Herbert’s acclaimed novel of the same name, Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies have been incredibly successful, sowing the seeds for a potential Dune live-action franchise that spreads its roots in both television and film. With only two movie installments, the franchise is still in its early stages. However, its success has almost guaranteed that audiences will see more of it in the future.
Following David Lynch’s 1984 Dune film adaptation and John Harrison’s 2000 television miniseries, Villeneuve’s Dune is the third attempt to adapt Frank Herbert’s iconic novel for the screen. However, while the early adaptations failed to fully capture the imperialism, mythology, and political and religious intrigue of the source material, Villeneuve’s Dune films have achieved the impossible by presenting a nearly perfect book-to-screen adaptation of Herbert’s work. Owing to this, it is hard not to hope that the franchise will be around for a while. Fortunately, it will be.
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Feyd-Rautha plays a huge role in Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune’, but he was missing from Villeneuve’s cinematic adaptation. What’s his role in the sequel?
Dune: Prophecy (TV Show)
Dune prequel series set hundreds of years in the past
Scheduled to stream on Max in late 2024, Dune: Prophecy serves as a prequel to Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune movies. Its storyline ensues nearly 10,000 years before the events of Frank Herbert’s 1965 Dune novel. The series will serve as an origin story for the Bene Gesseritfollowing the grueling mental and physical training the members of the sisterhood are put through to achieve their potential and unlock their mysterious abilities.
While most other details surrounding the plot of the spin-off/prequel series are unknown, it will likely unravel how the members of the sisterhood learned everything from “The Voice” and prana-bindu to how the Bene Gesserit became Reverend Mothers after mastering the breadth of all their abilities. Legendary Entertainment is the mass media company producing the show, and Alison Schapker, best known for her work in Fringe and Altered Carbonis its showrunner, writer, and executive producer.
When it comes to Dune: Prophecy‘s cast, the show already has several renowned names associated with it. According to reports, Emily Watson, from the Gosford Park, The Theory of Everythingand Chernobyl fame, will be portraying its main character, Valya Harkonnen. Meanwhile, Olivia Williams, Jodhi May, and Sarah-Sofie Boussnina will star as Tula Harkonnen, Empress Natalya, and Princess Ynez, respectively. Additionally, Shalom Brune-Franklin, Faoileann Cunningham, Aoife Hinds, Chloe Lea, Travis Fimmel, and Mark Strong are also part of Dune: Prophecy‘s roster.
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Dune 2 Ending Explained: Paul Atreides’ Endgame & What It Sets Up
Dune 2’s ending delivers an epic conclusion to this chapter of Paul Atreides’ story, as the sequel also teases what is next for the sci-fi franchise.
Dune: Messiah (Movie)
A third Dune movie is in development
Although Dune: Messiahwhich will serve as the third installment of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movie series, has not been officially confirmed, it is most likely happening. Since the first Dune the film’s critical and commercial success led to Warner Bros. greenlighting Dune: Part Twothe third film will also likely be confirmed soon since the second film has already critically surpassed its predecessor, and even its early box office numbers suggest it is overperforming worldwide. Dune: Messiah‘s storyline will unfold 12 years after the events of the first Dune novel.
As established in Dune: Part Two‘s ending, Zendaya’s Chani, Timotheé Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, and Florence Pugh’s Princess Isulan will be the primary players in the next film. Meanwhile, Paul’s sister, Alia (played by Anya Taylor-Joy in Dune: Part Two), who telepathically communicates with Paul and Jessica in Dune: Part Two, will also be a significant character. Despite the air of uncertainty around Dune: Part 3director Denis Villeneuve has expressed interest in making a Dune trilogy and even revealed (via TongTongCulture) that’s it”screenplay is almost finished.“
Will Any Other Dune Books Be Made Into Movies?
What Denis Villeneuve has said about the future
Even though the Dune franchise offers an abundance of content for future movies and shows, Denis Villeneuve has openly stated how he will not be sticking with the franchise after the third film. “Dune Messiah should be the last Dune movie for me,” he said (via Time). While the director may still change his mind in the future, for now, it seems unlikely that he will helm anything related to the Dune franchise beyond Dune Messiah. If Dune: Prophecy comes close to performing as well as Denis Villeneuve’s films, audiences can expect other spinoff shows and even films that expand the live-action Dune franchise’s lore and worldbuilding.
Dune
Dune the big-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal bestseller of the same name. A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
- Release Date
- October 22, 2021
- Studio(s)
- Legendary Pictures
- Distributor(s)
- Warner Bros. Pictures
- Cast
- Dave Bautista , Rebecca Ferguson , Sharon Duncan-Brewster , Jason Momoa , David Dastmalchian , Stephen McKinley Henderson , Stellan Skarsgård , Charlotte Rampling , Chang Chen , Oscar Isaac , Zendaya , Javier Bardem , Timothee Chalamet , Josh Brolin
- Runtime
- 155 minutes