Dune: Messiah likely to begin filming in 2026, Denis Villeneuve confirms Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya’s return while giving out plot details

Dune: Messiah is one of the most anticipated movies and now as Denis Villeneuve reveals details, fans are excited.

Dune Messiah Update 

While the world is busy obsessing over the latest superhero films like Deadpool & Wolverine Joker: Folie à Deux, and whatever is brewing in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and the DCU, another franchise is creating a storm: Dune. Launched in 2021, Dune, featuring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in the leading roles, has quickly become one of the most lucrative franchises, captivating audiences with two films titled Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two. With the success of these first two movies, the buzz surrounding the third installment, titled Dune: Messiah, has been intense. However, there have been no concrete updates since Denis Villeneuve announced he was taking a break from the franchise.

Denis Villeneuve Reveals Dune: Messiah Details

For those unfamiliar, Dune: Messiah will continue the story of the Dune franchise. Paul Atreides became the chosen one at the end of Dune: Part Two and we witnessed his descent into arrogance and ignorance as power took over. Messiah will explore the story further, with Anya Taylor-Joy now joining the franchise in a much bigger role than her cameo in Part Two. Denis Villeneuve has recently spoken about the plot for the movie and when we can expect him to start working on it. Read on to learn everything you need to know.

In a conversation with Deadline director Denis Villeneuve explained how he views the two released movies as one entity, stating that it is one story told in two parts, which is now complete. When discussing his decision to return for the third chapter, he said, "Like Herbert did with Dune: Messiah, I think it’ll be a great idea to do something completely different. The story takes place about 12 years after we left the characters at the end of Part Two. Their journey and story are different this time, and that’s why I always say that while it’s the same world, it’s a new film with new circumstances."

Also Read: Dune - Part Two Review - It's in the oddities that Timothée Chalamet's sci-fi epic finds its soul laced with visual grandeur

Regarding when he plans to return to the world of Dune to shoot Dune: Messiah he mentioned that he intends to get behind the camera sooner than we might expect, as he is currently in the writing phase. He also noted that these films take a lot of time to create, so it’s not ideal to publicly announce when filming will commence.

"Let’s say," Villeneuve added, "that I thought after Part Two I would take a break, go back into the woods, and stay there for a while to recover. But the woods weren’t really suiting me, and I would go back behind the camera faster than I think. But that’s all I can say." Considering everything, it is safe to say that filming will likely begin in 2026.

In further comments, director Denis Villeneuve confirmed that Timothée Chalamet as Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides will return for the third film. "They have to return. They are part of the main cast when it happens. And more worms. What can I say?" he teased.

Stay tuned to OTTplay for more information on this and everything else from the world of streaming and films.

Also Read: Dune: Prophecy - Tabu plays Sister Francesca; what do we know about her?

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