Dune 3 to begin filming ‘a year earlier than expected’

‘Dune: Messiah’ is reportedly due to enter principal photography a year earlier than expected.

The upcoming sci-fi sequel - which will be helmed by series director Denis Villeneuve - was anticipated to begin shooting in the summer of 2026, though Deadline has now claimed the filmmaker is planning to roll the cameras in June this year.

‘Dune: Messiah’, which will be based on author Frank Herbert’s 1969 book of the same name, is set 12 years after the events of ‘Dune: Part Two’, and follows Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) after his ascension to the throne as Emperor of the Known Universe, only for the religious cult he created around himself to begin to spiral out of his control.

Recently, Villeneuve said he felt “inspired” to make another ‘Dune’ movie after he took a break from the franchise following ‘Dune: Part Two’s release in March 2024.

Speaking to TheWrap, the 57-year-old director said: “When I saw 'Part Two' finished, finally, I realised that that was it. I’d done it. I’d done an adaptation of ‘Dune’. And that is something that is an incredible privilege. I’m very grateful to have the chance to have done it.

“I think my biggest surprise about this is that I don’t want to run away from Arrakis. I’m still inspired to go back. That’s the thing that I was the most surprised by.”

The ‘Blade Runner 2049’ filmmaker had initially planned to tackle other projects before returning to the ‘Dune’ series for ‘Messiah’, though found the pull of completing the trilogy too much to resist.

He continued: “I felt that after 'Part Two', I would need a break. I thought that I would want to go write a few films or do a couple of things before going back to ‘Dune: Messiah’.

“But the images that kept coming back to my mind, the appetite is absolutely intact. That’s the biggest surprise. I still want to go back to Arrakis.”

Reflecting on his work, Villeneuve said he felt the first ‘Dune’ movie was “more contemplative” than the second, describing ‘Dune: Part Two’ as “more action-driven” than any of his previous projects.

He explained: “I was feeling that ‘Part One’ was, by definition, a more contemplative film. It was a film where we were following a boy discovering a planet, a culture, and we were embracing that boy’s point of view. That boy was a victim of the event.


“In ‘Part Two', that boy becomes an adult and becomes a leader. He takes his destiny into his own hands. And I felt that there was an opportunity to create something that will be more action-driven and something I had not done before, and that really excited me.


“That was my, let’s say, bucket list. And that was something that I feel we achieved.”

‘Dune: Messiah’ will also see the return of Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh and Javier Bardem, and is expected to hit theatres in December 2026.