Dune: Part Two: Zendaya, Florence Pugh Tease How Sequel Sets up Third Film

Dune: Part Two will conclude Denis Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's Dune novel, but it may not be the end of the Dune saga. Villeneuve has voiced his desire to adapt Dune Messiah, Herbert's first Dune sequel, turning the Dune movies into a trilogy. Villeneuve has even talked about what that timeline would look like should Warner Bros. Studios give the go-ahead to make the movie. Two characters central to Dune Messiah are Chani, the Freman woman played by Zendaya, and Princess Irulan, introduced in Dune: Part Two as played by Florence Pugh. Both become entwined in Paul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet) destiny. Speaking to ComicBook.com at the Dune: Part Two press junket, Zendaya and Pugh discussed that film's ending, setting the stage for the potential final chapter that Dune Messiah represents.

"I feel like it's heartbreak," Zendaya says of Dune: Part Two's ending. "You know, there's heartbreak. There's betrayal. There's loss and confusion, and, I feel like, it's a quite painful ending. It doesn't end like, 'someone won,' it's not that. Broken dreams and hearts."

Purgh says, "I think, for me, when I read that final few pages, it made me suddenly go, like, 'Oh, she's far more knowledgeable than I thought she was,' from Princess Irulan's perspective. I think it's truly a moment where she realizes her power and her position going forward. And keeping her namesake and also realizing this is purely transactional and it's a business decision, and I love that for her. After watching for an entire movie of her just listening and watching and taking things in, she's as much a part of this decision as he is."

She continued, "And then there's that moment between them at the end, which is just so heartbreaking, and I truly believe she clocks that. I think she understands what this means, and through [Chani's] very beautiful, sad face does she understand that this was not part of the plan, which means that, realistically, she's needed in this deal as much as she needs them. So there's a lot going on underneath everything. You're right. It doesn't feel good, which surely makes you ready for what's going to happen next, which is very, very exciting."

Will there be a Dune 3?

Villeneuve has been talking about making Dune into a trilogy since he started working on his adaptation. He's already begun working on a screenplay adapting Dune Messiah alongside some others and has said that Dune's "meaning" will only become apparent in that third movie.

"I'm working on four different screenplays. I know that Dune Messiah will be one of them. I don't know if it will be the next or the second next," Villeneuve told Cine21. "My job was to try to keep the spirit of Frank Herbert alive as much as possible -- the whole meaning of Dune becomes clear with Dune Messiah."

What is Dune Messiah?

Dune Messiah is Frank Herbert's sequel to Dune. Herbert published Dune Messiah in 1969, four years after Dune, though he had begun working on Messiah before completing Dune. Dune Messiah is significantly shorter than the first novel, contributing to its reputation among some fans as an essential epilogue or third act to Dune, completing Paul Atreides's saga and cementing him as a tragic hero.

Villeneuve sees Dune Messiah similarly. In 2023, he told Variety, "Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of Dune] is closer to his idea that it's actually a warning."

Dune: Part Two Cast and Release Date

Continuing the story begun in 2021's Dune, the synopsis for Dune: Part Two says the film "will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee."

Denis Villeneuve directed Dune: Part Two from a screen he co-wrote Jon Spaihts, based on Frank Herbert's 1965 Dune novel. The film stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Dave Bautista as Glossu Raban, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Austin Butler as Feyd-Ruatha Harkonnen, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Christopher Walken as Shaddam IV, and Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot.

Dune: Part Two opens in theaters on March 1st. Dune is now playing in select IMAX theaters, with a sneak peek at the sequel.