Denis Villeneuve says ‘Dune: Messiah’ will be the final movie

DENIS Villeneuve insists the third ‘Dune’ film will be his last in the franchise.

The filmmaker insists that after the second flick ‘Dune: Part Two’, which followed the 2021 epic war film, adapted from Frank Herbert’s original classic novel, ‘Dune Messiah’ will be his last outing if it’s green-lit, despite there being four more books.

He told Time magazine: “Dune Messiah should be the last Dune movie for me.” Villeneuve will then turn his attention to adaptations of Stacy Schiff’s ‘Cleopatra’ and Arthur C. Clarke’s ‘Rendezvous With Rama’.

Zendaya recently said she would “of course” return for ‘Dune 3’.

The 27-year-old actress is open to reprising her role of Chani in a potential ‘Dune Messiah’ film and insisted that she will work with the director again anytime he asks.

She told Fandango: “Would we be down? I mean of course. Anytime Denis calls it’s a yes from me, at least. I’m excited to see what happens. I started Messiah and I was like, ‘Woah, I’m only shooting the first movie.

“Let me just go back to the first one.’ It’s so much to take in, and I think there’s no better hands with better care and love for it than him [Villeneuve].”

‘Dune: Part Two’, starring Zendaya, Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Josh Brolin and Rebecca Ferguson will be released in March and Zendaya can’t wait to see it.

She said: “I’m just excited to see … It’s just anticipation.

“Whenever he is ready. I know he’s a perfectionist in many ways and doesn’t want to share things unless he’s fully ready to do that. So [I’m] respecting that and waiting until he’s ready.”

Villeneuve previously revealed he would love to make a trilogy, with the third movie based on Herbert’s ‘Dune Messiah’, the second book in his ‘Dune’ series.

He told Empire: “If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream. I will say, there are words on paper [for a third film].” — Bang Showbiz