Hans Zimmer has an encouraging update about Dune: Messiah, but fans shouldn’t get too excited about the film just yet. Speaking with Variety while at the premiere of F1: The Movie, the Oscar-winning musician, who composed the scores for the first two Dune movies, was asked how things are coming along on Messiah. Revealing that he’s had conversations with director Denis Villeneuve, Zimmer confirmed that progress is being made. However, it doesn’t sound like anything is imminent. He noted that there’s still a long way to go before the creative team is ready to fully move forward.
“I just spoke with Denis. We’ve got something,” Zimmer said. “We’re on our way, but there’s a lot of desert in front of us.”
After Dune: Part Two released last year, Villeneuve initially believed he would need to take a break from the franchise before returning for a third installment. Since then, his mindset has changed; fueled by his passion for the source material and the positive reception to Dune: Part Two, the filmmaker is eager to make Messiah as quickly as possible. Reports indicate he intends on starting production at some point this year, though the availability of Zendaya could throw a monkey wrench into those plans.
In the meantime, Villeneuve has been rounding out the Dune: Messiah cast. Robert Pattinson is reportedly onboard to play villain Scytale, while Jason Momoa is set to return. Though Momoa’s character Duncan Idaho died in the first Dune, the actor can come back for Dune: Messiah thanks to a plot point in the Messiah novel. The Tleilaxu and the Spacing Guild gift Paul Atreides a “ghola” designed to look exactly like Duncan.
Zimmer’s comments indicate that even though Villeneuve is fast tracking Dune: Messiah, the acclaimed director is still exhibiting a fair amount of patience as he develops the film. That approach is undoubtedly for the best. The first two Dune movies earned widespread praise and were nominated for Best Picture, setting a very high bar for subsequent installments to clear. Aware of how beloved his adaptations are, Villeneuve doesn’t want to rush something and risk having Messiah underwhelm. The Dune: Messiah narrative is complex and has a lot of moving parts (including an extended time jump) that the director needs to figure out as he adapts the story for the big screen. Seeing that Messiah will be Villeneuve’s last Dune film, he wants to take his time to ensure it brings his trilogy to a fittingly epic close.
Additionally, the business side of the film industry could be part of the desert in front of Villeneuve and his Dune team. It was widely assumed Dune: Messiah would take the December 2026 release date Warner Bros. had set aside for a Villeneuve-directed “event film.” However, that date is now also occupied by Marvel’s Avengers: Doomsday, so it seems likely Dune: Messiah will be moved. Depending on how things play out, Messiah could get pushed to some point in 2027, so for as much as WB would love to have the film come out as soon as possible, it may not be the worst thing that Villeneuve is slowly moving along.
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