Denis Villeneuve has directed two Dune movies so far, and they've both been smash successes. Dune: Part Three is on the way; it will adapt Frank Herbert's book Dune Messiah, which is a slimmer and more introspective book than its predecessor. But Dune is already more introspective and strange than a lot of other big-name sci-fi series, so maybe fans are willing to go with it.
A lot of the big-name cast members from the first two movies will return, including Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as his lover Chani, Florence Pugh as his wife Irulan, and Jason Momoa as...well, that one's complicated. Now, Javier Bardem has confirmed that he will be back as the Fremen leader Stilgar, despite his best attempts to play coy on an episode of Today. "They're shooting it, they are doing it this year, and I may be there. I can't say more than that," Bardem said. But the host was having none of this evasiveness. "Sounds like you're in Dune 3!" he said. Bardem let the curtain fall after that: "Yes."
There's not much point in Bardem trying to avoid confirming he's in the movie: Dune Messiah was published in 1969, Stilgar is in the book, so of course he's in the movie adaptation. Case closed.
Jason Momoa's son will appear in Dune: Part Three?
I'm less certain about this latest report. Before I say anything else, know that we are entering RumorLand.
First, some background: Dune Messiah ends with the birth of Paul Atreides' twin children, Leto II and Ghanima. In Messiah, we only meet them as infants. The next book, Children of Dune, jumps ahead in time and catches us up with Leto II and Ghanima as children; they're pretty much the main characters of that book.
According to Nexus Point News, there will be a time jump somewhere in Dune: Part Three. On the other end of it, we'll see Leto II and Ghanima as teenagers, presumably setting up the events of Children of Dune. What's more, they claim that Leto II and Ghanima will be played respectively by Nakoa-Wolf Momoa (son of Jason Momoa) and Ida Brooke.
Is this news accurate? Nexus Point News is known to report scoops like this; sometimes they're wrong and sometimes they turn out pretty accurate. I don't think we know enough to tell which this is yet.
We do know that director Denis Villeneuve doesn't want to direct any Dune movies beyond Dune: Part Three. But that doesn't mean Warner Bros. Discovery won't hire another director to continue adapting the books after he leaves the franchise; in fact, considering what big successes Villeneuve's first two Dune movies have been, I fully expect them to. I'd also like to see Children of Dune adapted to the screen, because it a fun, thoughtful sci-fi tale and one of the better books in the Dune series.
Does that mean I believe that they've already cast Leto II and Ghanima? I'm gonna hold off on committing to that. For now, expect Dune: Part Three to come out sometime next year.
UPDATE: It's real, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke will indeed play Leto II and Ghanima in Dune: Part Three, according to Deadline.
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