Dune 3 director reveals major shift for Zendaya’s Chani

Denis Villeneuve has been dropping hints about Dune 3, saying Messiah will be told from Chani’s point of view, and that Zendaya’s character will be the “moral compass” of the movie.

The filmmaker has clearly developed a taste for spice, as while he initially only wanted to adapt Frank Herbert’s Dune for the screen, he’s now got his sights set on sequel Dune Messiah.

The movie will be the third part of his Dune trilogy, and Villeneuve’s final feature in the ‘Duniverse.’

And while the first two films focused on Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreidis, it sounds like Dune 3 will revolve around Zendaya’s Chani.

Warner Bros.

In a new interview with Deadline, Villeneuve explained that switch by comparing point of views: “[Dune 2] is seen through the lens of their relationship, the birth of their love, how their love grows, as Paul discovered the culture, learned about the culture. And then how their love is tested by the politics of the world and where there’s a separation between both of them.

“In the third part, we suddenly follow from her [Chani’s] point of view, which becomes our moral angle, the moral compass.”

Villeneuve also said that even though Dune was written in 1965, and Messiah in 1969, their themes remain relevant.

Ace Books

“That’s the thing about Frank Herbert, it was quite precise, the way he approached the idea of colonialism, exploitation of natural resources, the danger of language and politics together. There’s something about all the power of AI, that was after the book, but there are things in there that feel even more relevant today than when it was written,” he continued.

“I cannot comment on the next movie because when movies are in the process of being written, they are very fragile. But let’s say that it is absolutely deeply inspired by the book, Dune Messiah. I think there is the potential for a very strong movie there, and I absolutely believe in it.”

While you wait for updates, be sure to check out our Dune 2 review, and our thoughts on new series Dune Prophecy. You can also take a look at the new movies out this month.