The long-awaited cinematic adaptation of Dune hasn't been released yet, but that hasn't stopped fans from anticipating the large-scale film. Not only has anticipation been hyped up for fans, but director Denis Villeneuve is even talking about the future installments that he has planned for Dune.
Dune is a science fiction film that takes place in the very far future on the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, also known as Dune, which has the only source of the most valuable material, melange. Melange is a drug that extends the human lifespan, gives superpowered levels of thinking, and enables faster space travel. The film involves a battle between the natives of the land and those who wish to take advantage of the planet's resources. Dune is based on a book by the same name, and many filmmakers were turned off from making a film based on how difficult and vast the storytelling was, which is why Villeneuve is splitting Dune up into two parts.
Villeneuve hasn't officially planned anything outside the two films but has now said that if there were to be a third movie, it would be focused on the second book, which is The Messiah of Dune. This would make the story a trilogy, which is what the director can only envision as of now. "I always saw that there could be a trilogy; after that, we'll see. It's years of work; I can't think of going further than that," Villeneuve said while on an interview with CBR Radio Canada.
This makes a lot of sense since planning out vast worlds, the extensive pre-production, casting the right roles, the lengthy set design, and production itself can be a lot to do, especially with a film of this magnitude. Dune's second film is expected to have Zendaya's character take over as the second protagonist to Timothée Chalamet's character.
Dune will be released in theaters and on HBO Max simultaneously in October following its premiere on September 3rd at the Venice Film Festival. Technically, part two hasn't been greenlit as of yet, but the director and cast have continuously expressed interest in making the second Dune film.
Dune also has a star-studded cast, which is why many fans are excited to see this film. The amount of star power is bringing in fans in order to get ticket sales for this standalone IP. Fans won't have to wait too much longer to see the film.
Dune will be in theaters and on HBO Max on October 22, 2021.
Source: CBC Radio Canada