Among the movies released last year, Denis Villeneuve's remake of Dune did just enough to ensure that the second part of the story will be told. Considering Dune: Part Two will have many of the same cast members returning, and the director had already prepared for his second movie to be greenlit, it is not surprising that the sequel is moving forward at a pace. According to the director, the script is "mostly" finished and with the film aiming for a release in October 2023, it will not be too long before cameras get rolling again.

While speaking to Collider, Villeneuve said:

"The screenplay is finished mostly, but it's always a work in progress. It'll be a work in progress until final cut, but I will say it's solidified. I have a script in my hands. We are in prep right now. The first one, it was more to make sure that we will land in the world and that the movie will be accepted. Now it's to make sure that we can close that first book, so it's like there's some premises that are in the first movie that I need to ignore. So yeah, I think I would say there's more pressure with the second one in some ways."

Frank Herbert's epic sci-fi novel was previously turned into a single feature film by David Lynch in 1984, and while the film has developed a cult following, it was a box office bomb at the time and was even disowned by Lynch as he claimed he was virtually unable to have a say in the final cut. For that reason, there was a lot of speculation about how Villeneuve's version would fare in comparison and even though the film ended up premiering on HBO Max at the same time as it arrived in cinemas, it still managed to pull in over $400 million despite landing in the middle of the Covid pandemic.

Dune Part Two Will Expand the Roles of Zendaya and Javier Bardem

With many big-name stars and storyline to cover, Dune: Part One saw some big names get only a tiny amount of screen time, including Zendaya and Javier Bardem, with a promise of much-expanded roles coming in the second movie. While there are many story strands to be pulled together in the movie, screenwriter Jon Spaihts recently hinted that the film will have a definite ending but will also leave the idea that there could be more movies to come. He said, "There are a few tantalizing strands that lead into the future and suggest that we might not be done in this universe, despite the fact that the ending of Dune as a novel, which will be the ending of the second film, is a very satisfying conclusion. There are a number of ways in which the book also sounds ominous notes, and there are hints of foreboding about what made be yet to come."

While the Dune movies cover the events of the 1965 novel of the same name, Frank Herbert wrote a further five books in the series before his death, and it seems that Denis Villeneuve has hopes to at least make one further book if he is allowed. Spaihts continued, "'Dune Messiah' is the next book, and it's one of three books with 'Dune,' 'Dune Messiah,' and 'Children of Dune,' that covers the lives of the characters we meet in the first novel. Subsequently, there's a giant leap in time and the series gets stranger and more epic as it carries on. But 'Dune Messiah' picks up years after the close of 'Dune,' and yes, Denis has talked seriously about making that film as well, as a conclusion of the trilogy."

Whether Warner Bros. will be willing to take a punt on a third Dune movie will completely rest on the success of Dune: Part Two when it is released next year. With the first movie costing around $160 million to make, and the second part likely to increase that budget, it is a lot of money to put into another movie without complete certainty that it will be worthwhile.