Dune Writer Teases More Spinoffs Being Developed

Since the debut of Frank Herbert’s novel Dune in 1965, the series has earned dozens of follow-up stories, with the potential of the concept allowing a number of avenues to be explored in various ways. Writer Jon Spaihts, who wrote the Denis Villeneuve adaptation of the original book, recently confirmed that, in addition to recently working on Dune: Part Two, he has also been tasked with exploring other potential avenues that the franchise could explore, though kept details of those potential paths under wraps for the time being. Dune: Part Two is expected to land in theaters on October 20, 2023.

When asked by The Playlist about the status of the previously announced spinoff Dune: The Sisterhood, Spaihts confirmed, “Oh, that is carrying on and I’m not allowed to talk about it very much. But that effort is alive and well. I ended up getting moved off of it to work, not just on Dune: Part Two, but to investigate other cinematic prospects in the Dune universe, which we are still talking about and which, again, I’m not allowed to say very much about. But it is a very rich world in which to play, and I think it is ripe with opportunities for storytelling in every direction.”

What will surely excite fans about these comments is that Spaihts specified “cinematic prospects,” implying that there were components either from the Denis Villeneuve films that could be further explored on the big screen, or potentially other components of the Dune mythology not yet seen that could earn a big-screen adaptation. Interestingly, despite the literary success of the franchise, the series hasn’t thrived quite as well in the world of live-action.

Back in the ’70s, filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to bring the story to life with stars David Carradine, Orson Welles, Salvador Dali, and Mick Jagger, only for budgetary constraints to see that project be scrapped. In 1984, David Lynch offered his own take on the material, but the dense subject matter didn’t translate effectively to the big screen, resulting in a project that was both a critical and financial disappointment.

Over the years, various miniseries have adapted the story, with the episodic nature of these projects allowing more time to fully flesh out that narrative.

Even Villeneuve’s adaptation faced unexpected obstacles, despite his proven accomplishments in the sci-fi space and the impressive cast he assembled, as the coronavirus pandemic saw the film first delayed by a year and then was released on HBO Max and in theaters simultaneously, with all of these factors obviously limiting its financial potential. Luckily, Warner Bros. confirmed he would get to deliver the second half of the story with a sequel, while HBO Max is also developing the Dune: The Sisterhood spinoff. By the time the Dune sequel lands in theaters next year, fans will surely be hoping that more creatives will be allowed the opportunity to mine the franchise for promising adaptations.

Dune: Part Two is expected to debut on October 20, 2023.

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