Dune 3 has just added two major characters to its cast, and it may reveal how Denis Villeneuve is approaching not just one, but two novels.
To be clear, Dune 3 still doesn’t have an official title. It could be Dune: Part Three, or as many have speculated, it may be called Dune: Messiah, directly borrowing the name of Frank Herbert’s second book.
Here’s the thing: it may not be a straightforward adaptation of the novel. According to Nexus Point News, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa (the son of Jason Momoa, who’s also expected to return as Duncan Idaho) and Ida Brooke have been cast as Leto II and Ghanima.
To the Dune layman, these names may not mean very much – but their casting has huge implications for what’s coming. Big spoilers to follow…
Dune 3 could mix Messiah and Children of Dune
In Herbert’s original novel, Leto II and Ghanima are the twin children of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya).
In the book, they’re introduced as infants after Chani dies during childbirth, and they don’t return until Herbert’s next installment: Children of Dune, in which Alia (briefly played by Anya Taylor-Joy) serves as regent for the universe in Paul’s absence – sorry, no spoilers about what happens to him.
As per Nexus Point News, “the film was set to introduce the twins as teens in this film during a time jump. Details of this time jump are currently unknown but may hint at Villeneuve drastically changing the story to incorporate elements of the novel, Children of Dune.”
Things get really weird in Children of Dune, and it remains to be seen how far Villeneuve would venture into its story. However, it’s clear that while Dune 3 will be his final film in the franchise, he doesn’t want it to end when he leaves.
“It would be a good idea for me to make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards, because they are beautiful books,” he told Vanity Fair.
“They are more difficult to adapt. They become more and more esoteric. It’s a bit more tricky to adapt, but I’m not closing the door. I will not do it myself, but it could happen with someone else.”
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