Summary
- Denis Villeneuve's Dune Messiah may start filming as early as June 2025, months ahead of previous expectations.
- Fans speculate on major roles for Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor Joy in the ambitious Dune 3.
- Despite Zendaya's busy schedule, Dune Messiah's accelerated production timeline has fans excited for the final installment.
According to an insider rumor, Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated Dune Messiah may begin production even earlier than previously believed. The third installment in the franchise will be the follow-up to the Academy Award-nominated Dune Part 1 and Part 2, which starred Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya in the leading roles.
Villeneuve’s adaptations of Frank Herbert’s Dune have been major successes for Warner Bros., with each of the first two films earning widespread critical acclaim and box office success. Previously, rumors circulated suggesting Villeneuve might delay Dune Messiah in favor of working on another sci-fi project, possibly his long-planned adaptation of the ambitious Rendezvous with Rama. While it was later announced that production on Messiah would be moved up, filming was still not expected to begin until late next year.
RUMOR: The Dune Franchise Might Be Getting A New Creative Force
Dune fans already know they're going to have to go past Dune: Messiah without Denis Villeneuve, and now there's a name at the fore to replace him.
However, a new report from Deadline has stirred excitement by suggesting that Villeneuve will begin filming Dune Messiah as early as June 2025. According to journalist Baz Bamigboye, who attended a BAFTA pre-party hosted by Charles Finch, a source whispered, “‘Denis Villeneuve will start filming Dune Messiah this June and not in 2026.’ This is news to both ears.” This claim contradicts earlier expectations that Messiah would not enter production until December 2026, creating a whirlwind of excitement among eager fans.
Dune Messiah To Begin Filming Summer 2025
If the new accelerated timeline is accurate, it indicates that Villeneuve and his team are deep into pre-production, with nearly a completed script. Given the complexity of Herbert’s Dune Messiah, which follows Paul Atreides’ struggle with his own god-like status and the consequences of his rise to power, the story will require significant planning and possibly some major reworking to bring Villeneuve’s vision to the screen.
Fans have also pointed out that Chani actor Zendaya already has an ambitious filming schedule for 2025, including Spider-Man 4 and the latest Christoper Nolan epic. However, it didn’t previously include principal photography for Dune 3. Villeneuve has hinted that Florence Pugh’s Princess Irulan and Anya Taylor Joy’s Alia will both play a larger role in the third installment, so it’s possible they will start filming with a partial cast, and Zendaya will join in 2026.
While fans of Herbert’s Dune series will be thrilled at the prospect of Dune Messiah arriving sooner than expected, it remains to be seen if this rumor will be confirmed by Villeneuve or Warner Bros. Regardless, the highly-anticipated Messiah will likely be the final film of Villeneuve's trilogy and one of the most ambitious sci-fi adaptations in recent history.
Dune
- Release Date
- September 15, 2021
- Runtime
- 155 minutes
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Writers
- Denis Villeneuve, Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, Frank Herbert
- Producers
- Herb Gains, John Harrison, Joseph M. Caracciolo Jr., Mary Parent, Richard P. Rubinstein, Cale Boyter, Thomas Tull, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Joshua Grode
Cast
-
Timothée ChalametPaul Atreides -
Rebecca FergusonLady Jessica Atreides
WHERE TO WATCH
Source: Deadline