Dune 3 confirmed to be in development

Dune: Part Three is officially in the works, following the success of the first two films in the sci-fi franchise.

The film will be an adaption of Frank Herbert’s second book Dune Messiah, and will be developed by Legendary Pictures.

Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the first two Dune films starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya received critical acclaim upon release, with Dune: Part Two grossing over $631m worldwide, making it the highest-grossing film of 2024.

According to a new report from Deadline, work on a script for Dune: Part Three has begun, with the director also revealing that an adaptation of the nonfiction book Nuclear War: A Scenario will be his next project after the third instalment in the Dune franchise.

Despite entering development, the film hasn’t been officially greenlit by Warner Bros. Villeneuve has been cautious when discussing the possibility of a sequel, calling the script “barely an embryo” during Dune: Part Two’s opening weekend.

He later admitted that he would only make the movie if “it’s going to be better than Part Two”, which will be a high bar to clear after some reviews praised the film as one of the best science fiction thrillers of all time.

Dune: Part Two is tipped for award-season success in 2025, after Dune: Part One earned 10 Oscar nominations, winning six.

The Dune series, an adaption of Herbert’s best-selling science fiction novels, follows Paul Atreides (Chalamet) as his family is thrown into a war for the inhospitable desert planet Arrakis.

In Dune: Part Two, the House of Atreides has fallen, and Paul must seek sanctuary with a Fremen tribe and their leader, Stilgar (Javier Bardem).

The ensemble cast also features Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.

Anya Taylor-Joy’s uncredited cameo appearance as Alia Atreides, Paul’s unborn sister, in Dune: Part Two led to speculation from fans that she will play a larger role in the sci-fi epic’s next instalment.

The films have faced some criticism, with some claiming the series appropriates Islamic and Middle Eastern tropes.

The franchise is the third adaption of the Dune novels, following David Lynch’s 1984 film and John Harrison’s 2000 television miniseries.