The official title of Denis Villeneuve's third Dune film has been officially revealed, and, in a move that should surprise no one, it will be called … drum roll please … Dune: Part Three (via Variety). Yep. That's about as straightforward as it gets.
Still, it's just the tiniest bit surprising, as some Dune fans have speculated that the third part of Villeneuve's trilogy may be named Dune: Messiah, after the second book in the Dune series, which will provide much of the inspiration for Dune 3.
That said, it makes all the sense in the world that the title would follow the simple structure of the first two movies, as it might throw audiences off if the sequence was Dune, Dune: Part Two, and then Dune: Messiah, which comes off more like a spin-off than a full-on sequel in context.
In terms of what to expect in the film, it'll pick up where Dune 2 left off, with Timothee Chalamet's Paul Muad'Dib taking the mantle of being his people's messiah (there it is) to new heights, leading them to battle across the empire that conspired against his family.
Regardless of the title, I'm hoping that Dune 3 follows the storytelling precedent set by Dune 2, with a marked escalation in both the stylish action sequences and the emotional resonance over the first film.
I'll admit, even as a Dune fan, it took me multiple watches to finish Villeneuve's initial Dune film, which lagged its way through a movie's worth of exposition. However, Dune 2 quickly won me over thanks to the gorgeous intensity of its visuals and cinematography, and the more engaging pace of the plot.
A lot of that success is due to the Dune franchise's presence in Imax screens, which will continue into Dune: Part Three, as Variety reports that portions of the movie will indeed be shot on Imax cameras.
You can stream Dune and Dune: Part Two now on HBO Max. Check out our guides to the best HBO movies and the best HBO shows to watch now.
