Dune: Messiah Update Confirms Good News (& What It Means for James Bond)

UPDATE: According to The Wrap, Dune: Messiah will not be entirely shot with IMAX cameras. A spokesperson told the outlet that IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond misspoke, and only “specific scenes” will be filmed in IMAX. The original article follows.

Denis Villeneuve painted on a large canvas when he made his first two Dune movies, and he has even greater ambitions for Dune: Messiah. In an interview with CNBC, IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond revealed that Villeneuve is planning to shoot all of Dune: Messiah with IMAX cameras. Gelfond hopes this is the start of a new trend for the director, who is also in line to direct the next James Bond movie. Villeneuve hasn’t had any conversations with Gelfond about Bond 26 yet, but it sounds like the executive would be game for all of that film to be shot in IMAX as well.

“From a personal point of view, I was really happy. I like him,” Gelfond said in response to a question about Villeneuve helming Bond 26. “I think he’s a genius filmmaker. Dune 2, that’s one of the eight [IMAX] did over 20% of the box office. Of course, in my mind, I’m [fast-forwarding] to Bond. But he’s so creative. He’s making the next Dune with IMAX cameras. He’s filming the whole thing. So we haven’t started talking yet, but I’m praying that that’s the case with Bond.”

In late June, Villeneuve was officially announced as the Bond 26 director. A release date for that project has yet to be set, but Amazon appears to be in the early stages of the casting process. The studio is reportedly pursuing an actor under the age of 30, with the likes of Tom Holland, Harris Dickinson, and Jacob Elordi said to be at the top of their wishlist.

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Before Villeneuve embarks on his first mission for MI6, he’ll tackle his third and final Dune installment, Dune: Messiah. With production planned to take place this year, several key roles have be cast. Robert Pattinson is set to portray the villainous Scytale, while Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke will play the twin children of Paul Atreides and Chani. Interestingly, Dune: Messiah has not been formally added to Warner Bros.’ release calendar, but it’s been widely assumed it will take the December 2026 date the studio reserved for a Villeneuve-directed event film.

If Villeneuve actually does shoot all of Dune: Messiah in IMAX, he will be the second director in history to make a film entirely in IMAX. Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey blazes that new trail when it opens in theaters next summer. It’s easy to understand why Villeneuve would be interested in this approach for Dune: Messiah. The first two films are renowned for their impressive, immersive scale and scope, sucking audiences into the world of Arrakis with unmatched spectacle. The Dune movies look incredible on any big screen, but the franchise is truly tailor-made for the IMAX format, and Messiah should be a sight to behold.

Should shooting completely in IMAX become the new norm, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Bond 26 follow suit. That’s another franchise known for its spectacle, wowing audiences with state-of-the-art action sequences. Villeneuve taking what he learned on Dune: Messiah and applying it to Bond would be an exciting prospect, perhaps creating a 007 adventure unlike anything audiences have seen before. That film is already going to be monumental as the start of a new era for the franchise, but going all-IMAX would give it even more of an event feel. Taking advantage of a filmmaker’s unique vision is why you hire someone like Villeneuve, and Amazon could reap the benefits right away, setting the stage for a thrilling new run of Bond films that push filmmaking techniques to their limit.