Sad Dune Update From Denis Villeneuve Confirms What Fans Feared
It appears that the filmmaker's adaptation of the iconic book series will remain incomplete after all.
Summary:
- Dune: Part Two is approaching release, and Denis Villeneuve is more than ready to make another Dune movie.
- However, the director states that if Dune 3 happens, it will be the end of the trilogy, leaving the third and fourth novels unadapted
- Fans understand this sad but necessary decision, as the story becomes incredibly bizarre and complicated starting with the third book
After several delays, Dune: Part Two is finally coming out, and fans will have to wait just one month to see the epic conclusion of the first chapter in the story of Paul Atreides as he finally puts an end to the reign of Emperor Shaddam IV.
Considering that it will only end the events of the first book in the series, fans have been wondering for quite some time if Denis Villeneuve will adapt the rest of the novels.
The Dune franchise includes an astonishing 23 books, but only four of them can be considered the "main" novels, as they follow the story of Paul Atreides and his son, Leto II, who eventually succeeds his father and becomes the God Emperor.
Much to the delight of fans, it seems that Dune 3, which will follow the events of the second book, Dune Messiah, has a pretty good chance of seeing the light of day, as the filmmaker has already stated that the script for the movie is almost finished.
Villeneuve Doesn't Want To Adapt All Dune Novels
Unfortunately, there's always a fly in the ointment, and a new update from the director brings sad news to fans, suggesting that while he's eager to make Dune 3, it will be the last film to conclude the trilogy.
Considering that the third novel, Children of Dune, definitively ends Paul's journey and sets up his son's rise to power, it seems logical to adapt all four main novels to tell the story in its entirety.
But Denis Villeneuve has a different opinion, which he has expressed in various interviews, that he feels the second book is a better conclusion to Paul's story, and that he has no desire to adapt the rest of the novels due to their "esoteric" nature.
Now, in an interview with Time magazine, the filmmaker has confirmed that his point of view hasn't changed and that if the studio officially gives the green light to Dune 3, it should be "the last Dune movie" for him.
Fans Admit It May Be The Right Decision
Although many fans would have loved to see the director's take on the rest of the novels, they admit that after the second book, they become incredibly difficult to adapt due to all the weird turns the story takes.
Of course, considering Villeneuve's immense talent, he could have tried and maybe even succeeded, but some aspects, like Leto II turning into a human-sandworm hybrid, just don't translate to the screen in a convincing way.
Still, they respect the filmmaker's decision, as he clearly doesn't want to be tied into a huge franchise for who knows how long and wants to preserve his freedom to make projects he's truly passionate about.
Also, making Dune 3 will probably be a difficult challenge for him, because even though Dune Messiah wasn't as weird as its successors, it was very different from the first novel, which caused many controversial reactions from readers.
Dune: Part Two will be released on March 1, 2024, and if it manages to be as successful as the 2021 film, the third installment could be considered a done deal.