Summary
Dune 3is expected to be Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation ofDune Messiah, but the threequel should also use anotherDunebook’s story to make it better. Villeneuve’s first twoDunemovies are fairly faithful adaptations of Frank Herbert’s original sci-fi novel. Based onDune: Part Two’s endingand where it leaves the characters, the setup already exists for the franchise to move into tackling Herbert’s follow-up book,Dune Messiah. The film picks up Paul Atreides' story with him as the Emperor of the universe and the struggles he faces as a result of this power.
Denis Villeneuve’sDune Messiahadaptationis still in the relatively early stages of development, but expectations for what storyDune 3will tell and who will be involved already exist. The continued exploration of Paul and Chani’s love story is guaranteed, while Princess Irulan and Alia Atreides are poised for an even bigger role. Sticking to theDune Messiahstory even brought teases of bringing back Duncan Idaho like in the source material.Dune 3is sure to mostly focus onMessiah’s events and characters, but it should include more from theDuneuniverse to be a more complete trilogy capper.
Dune: Part Three - Confirmation, Cast & Everything We Know
After the explosive ending of Dune 2, Dune 3 could cap off Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy by focusing on the events of the novel Dune: Messiah.
Dune Messiah’s Story Skips Over The Story Dune 2’s Ending Sets Up
The Holy War Isn’t In Messiah
One of the potential issues that comes with adaptingDune Messiahis that it does not focus directly on the story thatDune 2’s ending most prominently sets up. Villeneuve’s film makes a clear point to emphasizethe beginning of a Holy War that comes from Paul’s ascension to Emperor. The movie concludes with Paul sending his army of Fremen warriors off Arrakis after the Great Houses do not honor his claim to the throne. This leads Lady Jessica to proclaim that a Holy War is about to begin as Paul’s Jihad ravages any House that does not honor their Lisan Al-Gaib.
How Many People Paul Atreides Actually Kills As Emperor In Dune
Paul’s rise to emperor is the climax of Dune: Part Two, yet his reign sparks one of the most blood-soaked periods in humanity’s history.
Dune Messiahdoes not cover this event, though. The book picks up 12 years later, well after the conclusion ofDune 2’s Holy War. This creates a potential conflict in terms of what audiences expect to see inDune 3versus what the story might really be. If Villeneuve sticks strictly to the contents ofDune Messiah, then the next chapter ofthe story will completely avoid the actual events of the Holy Warand the early days or years of Paul as Emperor. This feels like a missed opportunity forDune 3not to tell these stories.
Dune 3 Should Adapt Parts Of The Paul Of Dune Book
Paul Of Dune Bridges The Gap Between Messiah
The good news for Villeneuve is that there is more material in theDuneuniverse to pull from when makingDune 3than justMessiah. This includesDunebooksthat explore different parts of Paul’s life and the wider universe, including the 12-year gap betweenDuneandMessiah. One of these additional books isPaul of Dune, a 2008 novel written by Frank Herbert’s son Brian and Kevin J. Anderson. The book chronicled Paul’s youth and the War of Assassins, as well asthe immediate aftermath of him becoming Emperor and the Holy Warthat wages across the galaxy.
It is the latter aspects ofPaul of Dunethat make it a compelling addition toDune 3. Denis Villeneuve could use parts of the established franchise canon to bridge the gap betweenDune 2’s ending and the main story thatDune Messiahtells. This would giveDune 3an opportunity to include more war action scenes as Paul and his Jihad destroy anyone who opposes his rule. Major plot points like Alia killingLady Margot and Feyd-Rautha’s childandMargot nearly assassinating Paul could be pulled fromPaul of Dune’s pages and incorporated intoDune 3then.
How Dune 3 Can Use Paul Of Dune’s Story To Enhance Messiah
Denis Villeneuve Can Still Use The Earlier Stories
By utilizing aspects ofPaul of Dune, Denis Villeneuve can makeDune 3an even greater and more fleshed-out continuation of Paul’s life than Frank Herbert’sDune Messiahwas at the time. Showing Paul and his army forcefully take power in the galaxy and dismantle his enemies works directly in setting up the main conflict ofDune Messiah. It could also be a way to further establish that Paul Atreides is a villain by this point in the story.UsingPaul of Dune’s material also could help increase Irulan and Alia’s roles, all while bringing Lady Margot back into the mix.
If Denis Villeneuve does have any interest in usingPaul of Duneto makeDune 3, there are various options for how he could incorporate these elements. An opening prologue could be done that chronicles the events betweenDune 2andDune 3. He could also utilize flashbacks to bring these scenes to life in a more traditional manner. SincePaul’s dreams and visionshave been such a focus of the films,nightmares about what happened in his past could also be usedto bring in these elements.
Any of these options present the opportunity forDune 3to enrich the expected story. SincethePaul of Dunebook was written many years afterDune Messiah, it was not part of what Frank Herbert originally created and was made to feature these connections. It is still an effective piece of the wider universe that specifically fills in gaps that could be more pressing for a big-screen adaptation.Dune Messiahwas able to get away with the time jump and avoid the Holy War, butDune 3doesn’t need to, thanks to whatPaul of Dunelays out.
