Jon Spaihts, the writer of Dune, shared that Dune: Part Two will hint at a third film, which might be followed later by several new instalments of the franchise.

Upcoming sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Two will not necessarily bring the epic franchise to an end, with writer Jon Spaihts revealing that it will leave the door open for a third film. He told The Playlist that there could be up to seven instalments in the Dune franchise when all is said and done in the future.

Frank Herbert wrote a total of six novels in the Dune series, Dune (1965), Dune Messiah (1969), Children of Dune (1976), God Emperor of Dune (1981), Heretics of Dune (1984), and Chapterhouse: Dune (1985), and according to Jon Spaihts, Denis Villeneuve, the director of Dune is hoping to at least cover Dune Messiah as an end to his future trilogy.

“Yes. Frank Herbert wrote six novels, I believe, with a seventh partially completed upon his death that was completed [posthumously] by his son. Dune Messiah’ is the next book, and it’s one of three books with ‘Dune,’ ‘Dune Messiah,’ and ‘Children of Dune,’ that covers the lives of the characters we meet in the first novel. Subsequently, there’s a giant leap in time, and the series gets stranger and more epic as it carries on. But ‘Dune Messiah’ picks up years after the close of ‘Dune,’ and yes, Denis has talked seriously about making that film as well, as a conclusion of the trilogy. ‘Dune Messiah’ is a very interesting book, which in some ways, deconstructs Dune and plays as a cautionary tale, even more than Dune does, about the dangers of blending religion and politics, the hazards of following charismatic leaders, and the dangerous struggle that’s always alive between the individual and institutions.”

With a further immersion into Dune’s central themes, which are firmly reminiscent of contemporary topics, a third Dune movie based on Dune Messiah would possibly feature Princess Irulan more, who is reportedly be played by Florence Pugh in Dune: Part Two.

It is important to mention that Spaihts assured the audience: Dune: Part Two will act as an ending, wrapping up the novel’s story, which began with last year’s Dune: Part One. However, the second part will leave the door open for more to come.

“There are a few tantalizing strands that lead into the future and suggest that we might not be done in this universe, despite the fact that the ending of ‘Dune’ as a novel, which will be the ending of the second film, is a very satisfying conclusion. There are a number of ways in which the book also sounds ominous notes, and there are hints of foreboding about what made be yet to come.”

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, Dune: Part One received a lot of positive reviews both from critics and the audience.

Dune: Part Two will be possibly released on October 20, 2023.

Source: MovieWeb