‘Dune’ director says ‘Part Two’ is “much better” than original and script for third is “almost finished”

While Dune: Part Two won’t hit theaters until March 1, Denis Villenueve, the director of the Academy Award-winning franchise, is already looking ahead to a third chapter.

According to Variety, Villenueve attended a press conference in South Korea where he spoke about the forthcoming chapter — or, he hopes, chapters — of the franchise.

Of the third film, called Dune: Messiah, the filmmaker explained, “The screenplay is almost finished but it is not finished. It will take a little time.”

He also said being able to finish out a cinematic trilogy based on Frank Herbert‘s seminal sci-fi classic would be a “dream.”

Whatever the fate of a third installment will turn out to be, Dune: Part Two is finished. As the director said, it’s “much better” than his 2021 original.

Villeneuve explained, “For me, this film is much better than Part One. There’s something more alive in it. There’s a relationship to the characters. I was trying to reach for an intensity and a quality of emotions that I didn’t reach with Part One and that I did reach with Part Two.”

The filmmaker added, “I’m not saying the film is perfect, but I’m much more happy with Part Two than I was with Part One. I can not wait to share it with the fans and the moviegoers.”

That’s saying a lot considering the first film starring Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya earned 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture, and won six, including Best Cinematography and Production Design.

He added that if he’s lucky enough to make a third film, he likely won’t be shooting it next. “For my mental sanity I might do something in between, but my dream would be to go a last time on this planet [Arrakis] that I love,” Villeneuve said.