Dune 3 Just Took A Major Step Forward (Even If Its Still Years Away)

Summary

• Dune: Part Two was a massive hit, grossing nearly $600 million worldwide and receiving rave reviews.
• Timothée Chalamet’s multi-film deal with Warner Bros. is a promising sign for Dune 3 negotiations.
• Chalamet possibly producing Dune 3 could help move the project forward, despite potential delays due to Villeneuve’s vision.

Dune: Part Three is still years away, but the film just took what could be a significant step in the right direction. Years after the first film was released in 2021, Dune: Part Two came out in March 2024, becoming an instant hit, grossing nearly $600 million worldwide so far after receiving overwhelmingly positive critical acclaim. Reprising his role as Paul Atreides, Timothée Chalamet leads the Dune: Part Two cast, a role he’d return to again in a future sequel. Dune: Part Three is still up in the air, but everyone involved seems encouraged to continue.

While Dune and Dune: Part Two are based on Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel, split into two parts, a third installment would adapt the novel Dune Messiah. Herbert initially wrote Dune Messiah as what he believed to be a necessary follow-up, enforcing his view that Paul Atreides is not the hero of the story but rather an anti-hero or villain. Director Denis Villeneuve made Dune: Part Two with that message in mind, but that doesn’t detract from the need for another film. There’ve been promising Dune: Part Three updates, including a recent announcement regarding Timothée Chalamet.

Timothée Chalamet’s Deal With Warner Bros. Is A Good Sign For Dune 3 Negotiations

Timothée Chalamet has signed a multi-film deal with Warner Bros., easing the transition into the next Dune movie.

Timothée Chalamet has had back-to-back success for Warner Bros., starring in the vastly different but commercially successful Wonka and Dune: Part Two. Variety reported that Chalamet has since signed a multi-year deal with the famous film studio to star and produce future projects. Timothée Chalamet has proven himself not only to be a versatile actor but also an enormously popular commercial star, making the deal promising for both parties. For relative perspective on Chalmet’s stardom, Warner Bros. signed a similar contract with Tom Cruise back in January.

At this point, it’d be impossible to continue
Dune
without Chalamet, and assuring his long-term commitment is a promising step forward.

Dune: Part Three could be even more important than Part Two, and it is crucial to ensure the proper steps are taken to replicate success. The deal is a great sign because it means Timothée Chalamet is eager to continue working with Warner Bros. and that renegotiating his contract for the next installment will be seamless. At this point, it’d be impossible to continue Dune without Chalamet, and assuring his long-term commitment is a promising step forward.

Timothée Chalamet Could Be Even More Involved With Dune 3 Now

Timothée Chalamet’s deal with Warner Bros. includes possibilities of him producing, which could help move Dune 3 forward.

Part of Timothée Chalamet’s deal with Warner Bros. involves him working as a producer on future projects. This could prove to be very effective for Dune as he can work directly with Villeneuve to ensure the film moves forward and does so at the right time. To clarify, this wouldn’t necessarily mean that Chalamet would have a bigger role in the film’s creative process, but more so that he’d have more power to move things along in the behind-the-scenes machine, which can be a labyrinth for even the most reputable filmmakers to navigate.

As a producer, Chalamet can help Denis Villeneuve bring his clearest vision to life for Dune: Part Three. Actors have frequently taken more prominent roles working behind the scenes on their commercial franchises. Consider Tom Cruise, for example, who began producing Mission: Impossible films himself to ensure his creative freedom, which has resulted in some of the best films in the franchise. Similarly, Matt Damon produced 2016’s Jason Bourne after starring in the leading role for years, and Margot Robbie played a significant role in Barbie’s production as producer.

Why Dune 3 Might Still Take Years To Make After Chalamet’s Deal

The biggest factor in Dune 3’s production is Denis Villeneuve’s vision, and his comments have been mixed.

Just because Timothée Chalamet can sign on for Dune: Part Three doesn’t mean the film will come any sooner. Dozens of cogs go into making a film, with the most significant in this case being director Denis Villeneuve, whose vision was crucial in bringing Frank Herbert’s world to life. His comments on the potential of Dune 3 have ranged in optimism, with the most recent stating that he needs some time away from the franchise, given that it’s absorbed the past six years of his life.

Villeneuve clarifies that he will take time away from Dune for a while to work on other projects and adds, “If ever I do Dune Messiah, [it’s] because it’s going to be better than Part Two. Otherwise, I don’t do it.” Villeneuve could make one or two more films before returning to Dune, which would be fitting given the 12-year time jump between the first two Dune novels. Villeneuve has already condensed the timeline in the second movie, so ideally, Dune: Part Three won’t take 12 years, but fans should anticipate a wait nonetheless.

Sources: Variety