The highly-anticipated Dune: Messiah may only hit the silver screen on 18 December 2026, but director Denis Villeneuve is certainly not sitting on his laurels. Despite expressing plans to take a break before continuing the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet, Little Women), the Canadian filmmaker is now reportedly keeping his momentum strong, kicking off shooting months earlier than expected.
According to Deadline, the upcoming trilogy-capper is due to begin the process this June, putting it on fast track to theatres. The news comes after The Hollywood Reporter disputed initial reporting that filming would start in early 2026 last year, describing it to be “an extensive, multi-location, multi-month shoot”.
Dune: Messiah will adapt the second novel in the Dune series by author Frank Herbert, and is set to put Chani, played by Zendaya, into focus. Other story specifics remain on the hush-hush, with renowned composer Hans Zimmer making headway with the film’s soundtrack.
“Chani’s heart is broken, and it’s the beginning of the Holy War and that’s where we left, so in a way, I’d say it’s quite similar,” said Villeneuve in an interview with Collider. “I was expecting to do something else before, but frankly, that’s the inspiration that came to my mind as I took a break this summer and was going back and finishing the story.”
According to the director, the pic will likely be his final send-off to the franchise, but it won’t be the last time fans see of Arrakis – HBO’s Dune: Prophecy prequel series has been renewed for a second season, while Funcom’s Dune: Awakening MMO introduces players to an open world brimming with spice, treachery, giant sandworms, and more.
Si Jia is a casual geek at heart – or as casual as someone with Sephiroth’s theme on her Spotify playlist can get. A fan of movies, games, and Japanese culture, Si Jia’s greatest weakness is the Steam Summer Sale. Or any Steam sale, really.
Natalie
