Summary
Director Denis Villeneuve shared a major update about the thirdDunefilm based on the bookDune: Messiah. He teased that the viewers would see more of one character with limited screen time in the second movie.
Villeneuve, the Canadian filmmaker who helmed theDunemovie series, is working on the third film just months after the sequel was released.Dune: Part Onehit theaters in 2021 andDune: Part Twopremiered on June 24, 2025. The nextDunefilm has no release date yet, but Warner Bros. announced in June 2024 that Villeneuve’s next “event film” will be released on July 22, 2025. It was untitled and it was still unclear if the studio was pertaining toDune: Messiahsince the director toldThe Hollywood Reporterhe would be working on something else beforethe thirdDunefilm. However, a new update about the film teased that one of the cameo stars in the second film will have a more significant role inMessiah.
Anya Taylor-Joy made an uncredited cameo inDune: Part Two, portrayingPaul Atreides' (Timothée Chalamet)sister Alia Atreides.She only appeared in a few seconds but could have a longer screen time inDune: Part Three.Villeneuve has seemingly confirmed her return to the franchise. “Shooting with Anya in Africa was nothing short of magical,” the director toldVariety. “Her generosity, candor and passion truly moved me. I can’t wait to go back on Arrakis with her.” According to Taylor-Joy, she met with Villeneuve before she flew to Australia to shootFuriosa. The director immediately told her he wanted her in the movie, but her schedule was full. However, she assured him that she could make it – to be in Australia and Abu Dhabi – and begged to be part of the film. Villeneuve is among Taylor-Joy’s favorites and she feels that he really wants her in the franchise and she wants the same.
Taylor-Joy also didn’t let go of the chance to appear inDune. She continued asking for updates and heard it started filming without her. However, when she returned to Los Angeles, Villeneuve called her to discuss a small role in theDunesequel. She agreed and appeared as an all-grown-up Alia. Her cameo seemingly teased that there’s more in the franchise. Villeneuve confirmed that Taylor-Joy was her only choice to play Alia in the film. “Anya was Alia as soon as I met with her,” Villeneuve said in an email, per Variety. “In fact, I realized after the fact, she has always been Alia. Anya feels out of this world, as though she belongs to some other dimension, one step into the dream.”
Alia is a significant figure in theDuneseries. She is born with full consciousness and awareness because her mother, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), a member of theexclusive sisterhood, the Bene Gesseritt, was pregnant when she ingested the Water of Life in the deadly ritual known as the Spice Agony. The ceremony was a success, but it had a grave effect on her unborn child, Alia, making her a super-being. Alia will have a more prominent role inDune: Messiahbecause, by this time, she has already grown into an even more powerful figure and will hold significant political power. Her actions and decisions will have sweeping consequences, making her a central figure in the film. Considering this, it’s expected that Taylor-Joy will have a longer screen time.
Dune: Messiahhas no official release date yet, but it might be released in 2026. The first twoDunefilms stream on HBO Max.
