The sandworms of Arrakis may find a new target in their sight when Dune: Messiah rolls around. According to Deadline, Robert Pattinson is reportedly being eyed by Legendary and Warner Bros. for a chief villain role in the upcoming threequel, which could point towards Scytale, the Tleilaxu Face Dancer from Frank Herbert’s series of novels.
No offer has been made, but if confirmed, the Batman star will join a stacked ensemble cast that includes Timothée Chalamet (Call Me by Your Name, Wonka) as Paul Atreides, Florence Pugh (Little Women, Black Widow) as Princess Irulan, and Zendaya (Euphoria, Spider-Man: Far from Home) as Chani. The film is set to begin shooting later in June, with Denis Villeneuve, who directed the first two movies, back at the helm.
While details about the trilogy-capper remain under wraps, it’s expected to adapt the second book and explore Paul’s rise to power. Chani will also play an important role in the story, as shared by the director in a previous interview with Collider (marking a departure from her original portrayal):
“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. 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.”
Renowned composer Hans Zimmer has already made headway with scoring for Dune: Messiah, which is targeting an 18 December 2026 release. The film likely serves as Villeneuve’s final send-off to the franchise, although fans still have the second season of HBO’s Dune: Prophecy and Funcom’s Dune: Awakening MMO to look forward to.
As for Pattinson, the actor recently wrapped up production on the A24 movie The Drama, also starring Zendaya, and Lynne Ramsay’s feature Die, My Love, in which he stars opposite Jennifer Lawrence. He was last seen in Mickey 17 for Warner Bros. and is currently filming Christopher Nolan’s big-screen adaptation of the literary classic The Odyssey.
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
