Lord of the Rings inspired Dune director Denis Villeneuve to stay true to his movie's source material

Dune director Denis Villeneuve has revealed that he took inspiration from Peter Jackson's Lord of the Rings trilogy when it came to staying faithful to his own films' source material.

"I tried my best to stay close to the spirit and to stay close aesthetically to something I had in mind when I read the book," Villeneuve said in a new interview with Vanity Fair. "I remember when I saw Peter Jackson's The Lord of the Rings, where I felt so much respect for the book, so much love for the book. Of course it's my adaptation, it's my take on it, but people will feel an energy, a spirit that is close to what Frank Herbert had done. So if it can bring more people to read the book, it would be great. At the end of the day, that's the goal."

2021's Dune and 2024's Dune: Part Two formed a two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert's 1965 novel. There are some key differences between the book and the movies, but this is to be expected with any adaptation – especially one of a hefty book like Dune.

Later in the same interview, Villeneuve confirmed that he's currently writing Dune Messiah, based on Herbert's second book. "If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it's not like a trilogy. It's strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity," he said.

Dune Messiah doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more updates, check out our guide to the other biggest upcoming movies on the way.