Dune Messiah May Not Get Made Because Of A Dream
Everyone even remotely interested in cinema is intensely interested in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two. However, the famed director’s recent comments have cast a shade of uncertainty over the future of the beloved franchise. It was amid a recent Q&A moderated by Christopher Nolan that Villeneuve wavered on whether he would, indeed, make Dune: Messiah. Rather than decidedly confirm or deny, the French-Canadian filmmaker said he needs to “dream a little bit” before committing fully. Sigh.
Denis Villeneuve And Dune
That being said, it’s not exactly out of character. After all, we know and love Villeneuve for his meticulous craftsmanship and deep reverence for the source material.
This robust respect for Frank Herbert’s novels partially lends Villeneuve’s films their brilliance. On the flip side, though, this artistic integrity means a potentially long pause in the director’s journey through the deserts of Arrakis.
Full Dune Trilogy?
Fans will hastily point out that, before revealing his introspective crossroads, the filmmaker previously discussed working on the Dune: Messiah script and vocalizing a desire to finalize the Dune trilogy.
Times have evidently changed; Villeneuve, on the heels of Dune: Part Two’s release, has now scheduled a creative respite to ponder the direction of his next project.
While this need not necessitate the French-Canadian genius drop Dune altogether, it nonetheless means his continuation of the saga may not be as immediate as fans hoped.
Dune Story Integrity
In all fairness to the director, his hesitancy doesn’t seem to be rooted in a lack of passion for the project. Instead, it boils down to his ironclad dedication to preserving the story’s integrity.
“The books,” Villeneuve said, “are precious, too important to me,” thus emphasizing the importance of refusing to budge an inch regarding the quality of Dune: Messiah’s screenplay.
Perhaps it’s an encouraging sign that John Spaihts, who penned both Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two (along with Eric Roth and Villeneuve), is at work on the Messiah screenplay. Hopefully, his final draft meets Villeneuve’s high standards.
Other Projects In The Works?
On a lighter note, the Q&A with Nolan was an enjoyable affair for fans. Notably and memorably, Villeneuve’s Dune sequel was compared to sci-fi juggernaut Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back for its darker tone.
If anything, such a comparison only amplifies fans’ expectations for a thrilling continuation of the series.
What would the filmmaker tackle, if not Dune: Messiah? Villeneuve has implied other projects vying for his attention; these include the sci-fi classic Rendezvous With Rama and, in a different genre (historical epic), a film about Cleopatra allegedly featuring Dune’s star Zendaya.
Of course, such a diverse slate of potential films underscores and qualifies the filmmaker’s reluctance to hasten back to Dune prematurely, lacking the necessary creative vigor and vision.
First, Dune: Part Two
It’s also hard to comprehend a third Dune film, Dune: Messiah, with the second part of the celebrated adaptation coming our way.
In Dune: Part Two, Paul Atreides (played iconically by Timothee Chalamet) will advance his quest to avenge his slaughtered family by, if there is any justice in the universe, slaughtering the Harkonnen responsible for their murders.
Chani (Zendaya) and the rest of the Arrakis Fremen will join him, all striving to free themselves from Harkonnen domination and avoid the horrible future only Paul glimpses in prophecies.
Source: Youtube
