Dune: Part Three is in development, and it has huge shoes to fill. The first two movies in Denis Villeneuve's trilogy have already become beloved within the sci-fi community. Dune: Part Two performed especially well, making $714.6 million at the worldwide box office and being nominated for several Academy Awards. Given this momentum, the third movie has the opportunity to be even bigger. While its release date has not been fully confirmed, Warner Bros. has scheduled a Villeneuve film for December 18, 2026, and this is widely speculated to be set aside for Dune 3's release. 1v1y1s

Dune Messiah has the potential to be Denis Villeneuve’s best movie in a long time if the director manages to pull off the book’s major set pieces and character moments with the same intricacy and precision as Frank Herbert’s original novel. However, the book has plenty of strange and unusual ideas that will be very difficult to bring to life on the big screen.

While Denis Villeneuve's two films adapt the first Dune novel by Frank Herbert, Dune: Part Three is an adaptation of the second book, Dune: Messiah.

If you're looking forward to the release of Dune: Awakening, you may or may not know that there have been quite a few Dune games created over the years with varying degrees of success. Dune is a fascinating IP in that it reaches into all corners of culture and media, largely due to its expansive and immersive universe, warring political houses, and one of the most iconic settings in all science fiction, the desert planet of Arrakis, aka Dune. However, doing justice to this universe has proven to be a rather difficult endeavor.

Dune 3 and Avengers: Doomsday could become box office rivals thanks to a new scheduling update. Doomsday is set to be the fifth installment in the superhero crossover franchise The Avengers and the 39th installment in the overarching Marvel Cinematic Universe. In the same way that 2018's Avengers: Infinity War was paired with a direct continuation in 2019's mega blockbuster Avengers: Endgame, Doomsday will be followed by Avengers: Secret Wars. However, while both movies were previously set for May releases in 2026 and 2027, they have both been delayed by months, to December 18, 2026, and December 17, 2027, respectively.

In 2026, Dune will make its return to theaters with a trilogy finale, but the series is not going to leave fans dangling for another year. Today, the franchise announced a new spin-off that will tide over the fandom. Dune: Edge of a Crysknife: Rage of Shai-Hulud is in the works, and the spin-off will explore untold stories set within the Dune Universe.

Paul Atreides is one of the most compelling characters in fiction, and the setup for the Dune: Part Threehas already revealed the character's greatest fear, which will dictate many of his actions in the new film. Following the incredible success of Dune: Part Two, the Denis Villeneuve sequel plans to pull from Dune Messiah, a novel written largely as a coda to the first book. To drive home Frank Herbert's dark themes about the corruption of power, Messiah features many complex story elements that will be difficult to adapt.

ADune: Prophecy star reveals the filming schedule for season 2. Taking place 10,000 years before the events in Denis Villeneuve's Dune, HBO Max's prequel series tells the tale of the origins of the Sisterhood, later known as the Bene Gesserit. Led by Valya (Emily Watson) and Tula Harkonnen (Olivia Williams), season 1 revolves around their battle against a threat at a critical time in the Sisterhood's history. Ahead of season 1's finale in December, HBO Max has ordered a new season.

Dune 3 is currently in development, and it has some important decisions to make. The movie comes after both of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies were well-received, garnering Academy Award nominations and critical acclaim. The second installment was also a huge box office success, making over $714.6 million at the worldwide box office. The Dune 3 release date has yet to be confirmed, but Warner Bros. has scheduled Villeneuve’s next movie for December 18, 2026, which is widely believed to continue Paul Atreides’ story.

Dune: Part Three has some complicated source material to sift through, but it looks like one of the most problematic components of the novel, Dune Messiah, may have already been fixed for the film adaptation. Serving as what will likely be the final Dune movie featuring Paul Atreides, the new installment needs to set up the rest of the story's cast. With characters like Florence Pugh's Princess Irulan returning, it is set to feature a unique ensemble when it is released in 2026.