Dune 3 Already Greenlit, Release Date Even Chosen?

By Britta DeVore | Published

Although he had big shoes to fill when he decided to go all in on bringing Frank Herbert’s Dune back to the big screen, Denis Villeneuve was more than up for the challenge. And it doesn’t look like the adventure will stop with the Dune sequel because it seems that there is already firm plans for Dune 3.

Dune 3 Plans?

dune 3

The Blade Runner 2049 helmer ended up being the perfect choice to bring the story into theaters with a second film on the way in March 2024.

Knowing that the sequel is just around the corner, fans have been wondering if there will be a third installment and, according to Jeff Sneider (as per World of Reel), not only is Warner Bros. Discovery giving the threequel a green light, but the studio already has a name and release date for it. 

Dune: Messiah

As far as the title goes, last week, Villeneuve announced that should Dune 3 go into production, it would do so under the title, Dune: Messiah.

In Sneider’s newsletter, he informed readers that Warner Bros. Discovery is already eyeing a release for the third installment at some point in 2027, ensuring that they don’t allow the hype to die down.

Also, according to Sneider’s insider info, the studio is willing to drop over $100 million on the project, especially if the second film performs as well as expected.

Dune: Part 2 Coming

Everything seems on target for Dune: Part 2 as the film recently dropped an epic trailer that sees the journey of Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides continue with new and old faces alike.

The first film came out back in 2021 and, despite dropping on both streaming and in cinemas on the same day, was an immediate hit and a huge money-maker for the studio.

With this in mind, audiences will likely flock to theaters in March to catch the second installment, giving Dune 3 a better chance of taking off.

The Dune Cast

dune 2

Along with Chalamet, Dune: Part 2 also stars Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Léa Seydoux, Charlotte Rampling, Stephen McKinley Henderson, and Souheila Yacoub.

As Paul continues on his journey of revenge, a handful of new characters will be introduced, setting up the story of Dune 3 should the studio decide to move forward. 

Denis Villeneuve And Dune

Dune Part Two

As he crafted the vision behind the first two films, it would only be expected that Denis Villeneuve would return to the fold to direct Dune 3.

Last week, the filmmaker opened up about his hope for the future of the franchise and gave comments about what his commitment to it could look like.

He shared his stance of wanting to take a break from the story following the run of Dune: Part Two as he’s been in the business of the novels-turned-films for several years now.

The Future Of Dune

dune 2 cast

As for what lies beyond the sci-fi world filled with sandworms for Denis Villeneuve is up in the air, but the director would likely stick to his beloved genre.

He also said that he has every intention of returning to the world of Arrakis for what will likely become Dune 3.

For now, fans can keep their eyes peeled for more news surrounding the hopeful third installment and catch Dune: Part 2 when it arrives in theaters on March 1, 2024.