The behind-the-scenes world of James Bond has been pretty hectic over the last few years. We still don’t know who the next actor to play Bond will be when James Bond 26 is finally produced. There are plenty of rumors and conjectures around who will next play the role of Bond. A recent update on the state of the movie, specifically the casting of 007, got me excited, and on one hand, I’m encouraged by the news because the filmmakers are being deliberate. On the other hand, I’m discouraged by how long it could be before we see James Bond 26. Here’s where things stand.

Casting Is Underway

According to a report in Variety, auditions are finally underway for the next Bond movie. In a statement from Amazon, which took over creative control of the franchise in 2025, the producers explained that auditions were happening, but:

That is great news! After months and months of rumors over who could step into Bond’s legendary shoes, we know now that at least the process is happening. In more good news, legendary casting director Nina Gold is heading things up. She’s responsible for the casting in shows like Game of Thrones and The Crown, and movies like The Martian and Hamnet, the latter of which earned her a nomination at the recent 98th Academy Awards.

The bosses at Amazon seem to be taking good care of this process and don’t want to rush it, which is encouraging. Theoretically, this could be Bond for the next 15 years (Craig’s tenure was exactly 15). It’s critical to get things right.

This Good News Comes With A Caveat

The flip side of this news is that it seems like the next installment in the James Bond franchise is no closer to starting production than it was a year ago. What that means for a release date is anyone’s guess, but it seems like it will be at least 2028, if not 2029. That means there will be seven or eight years between releases in the series, as No Die To Die came out in 2021. That’s a really long time between films.

It’s not just the casting that is stretching the production timeline out. The film’s director, Denis Villeneuve, has been wrapping up work on Dune III, which will hit the 2026 movie schedule in December, and screenwriter Steven Knight is reportedly still working on the script, which is looking more and more like it could be a 007 origin story. It’s all adding up to a very long process.

For me, as a huge Bond fan, I’m happy to know that things are finally appearing to be moving forward the much-anticipated Bond 26, but it’s just such a bummer that it’s still going to be a long wait before it hits theaters. Let’s hope it’s at least 2028, and not later.

There are major movie franchises, and then there's the James Bond movies. Generations grew up watching 007's adventures, and the various actors who have played the role. After Daniel Craig's Bond films came to an end, Amazon-MGM ended up buying control of the property's future, to the concern of some fans. But former Bond Girl Léa Seydoux offered another perspective.

What we know about Bond 26 is limited, but folks are curious who will play the protagonist, and how the franchise might change under Amazon. The change of 007 leadership has definitely turned heads, and during an interview with Variety Seydoux shared her own perspective. The actress offered:

Honestly, she's made some points. It sounds like the Spectre actress shared the same concerns about Bond's new leadership... until it was revealed that filmmaker Denis Villeneuve would be behind the camera. He's an accomplished director, and she personally worked with him on Dune: Part Two (which is streaming now with a HBO Max subscription). And his talents and commitment to the theatrical experience seems to have quelled her concerns about the future of 007.

Denis Villeneuve is an acclaimed Oscar-nominated filmmaker, whose work includes projects like the Dune movies, Arrival, Sicario, and Blade Runner 2049. All of these movies were crafted for the big screen, and are both visually appealing and emotionally impactful. So on paper he seems like the perfect filmmaker to direct the next James Bond film.

Not much has been revealed about what's going to go down in Bond 26, so there's plenty of chatter and countless questions circulating around online. For years fans have been betting about who will replace Daniel Craig as James. Although the latest rumors claim that the studio is seeking a very young actor to play the beloved MI6 agent. Hopefully the fandom gets some information from Villeneuve and company sooner rather than later.

Léa Seydoux made her James Bond debut in 2015's Spectre as Madeleine Swann , one of the most important Bond Girl from Craig's tenure as the hero. She'd go on to reprise her role in No Time To Die, and be the subject of some thrilling plot twists. As such, she is particularly qualified to speak on the franchise. Add in her time working with Denis Villeneuve, and I'm sure her above comments hold particular weight for fans.

It's currently unclear when Bond 26 will arrive in theaters, but the public is definitely invested. But Villeneuve will return to the big screen with Dune: Part Three on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list.

James Bond’s Tuxedos are a hard suit for any actor to fill out. But over fifteen years, Daniel Craig did just that during his era of the franchise, becoming the definitive Bond in many 007 fans’ eyes. So when he stepped away from the series five years ago, it was pretty clear that whoever took on the role next would have some pretty big Church's Phillips to fill. Well, now the Amazon boss is speaking out on why Craig's successor is taking so long to find and why there’s no new Bond for the 2026 movie calendar and beyond. Yet.

Per The Hollywood Reporter, at CinemaCon on Wednesday, Amazon Studios’ VP of film, Courtenay Valenti, spoke during MGM Studios‘ presentation and addressed the casting process for the upcoming installment, which Dune filmmaker Denis Villeneuve will helm. She explained:

On the one hand, it's incredibly reassuring to see the powers that be giving the franchise, which has spanned 25 films across more than 60 years, the sort of consideration it deserves. But on the other hand, it's a bummer that it's been five years since our last big screen outing with 007.

However, the Amazon bigwig has a pretty fair response to those of us tired of waiting for a casting announcement. Valenti continued:

I mean, fair enough. As a fan of all things concerning the Agent with a license to kill, I’m pretty happy with the fact that they’re taking their time to find the right person to step in as Bond. We don’t need a hasty casting and end up in another George Lazenby situation. Look, I admittedly think Lazenby is a fine 007 and gets sidelined too often, but I know he's not everyone's choice for their favorite Bond actor. So the longer they take to find the right person for the job, the better our chances of a Bond built for some longevity.

The last of Daniel Craig’s films playing the legendary spy was in Cary Joji Fukunaga’s hit No Time to Die in 2021. It was announced last year that Amazon MGM would be stepping in as the franchise's creative control after long-time helmers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli formed a joint venture with Amazon and ceded creative control to the streamer.

For now, we fans will have to wait for more news regarding the casting of our next James Bond. Luckily for us, we can revisit six decades' worth of missions as all films in order are streaming with a Netflix subscription.

Everything seems as expensive as ever right now, including trips to the theater to watch 2026's movie releases. But if you thought IMAX tickets and popcorn were pricey before, wait until you see the price some fans are asking for Dune: Part Three IMAX tickets.​

Months ahead of its release, the upcoming Dune: Part Three is already creating strong demand for its most premium format screenings. Select 70mm IMAX showings went on sale at limited locations, and many screenings sold out almost immediately, leaving some fans searching for alternatives. That’s where eBay reselling comes into play.

On eBay, listings range from $100 (single seats) to over $1,000 (pairs), like this set for the Indiana State Museum Theater showing, with one preview night reportedly reaching $4,500. Sellers highlight central, 'premium' seats to justify their markups.

The excitement for these tickets stems primarily from the film's large-format presentation. Director Denis Villeneuve has made IMAX and other immersive formats a focus throughout the series, and with 70mm IMAX screenings being especially limited to a relatively small number of theaters, this limited availability, along with the early availability of tickets in select locations, created a brief opportunity for fans to reserve their seats before the wider release.

Standard ticket sales haven’t rolled out yet, fueling the resale frenzy. With limited supply, the secondary market is driven almost entirely by early IMAX showings.

Some listings have bids, although it’s unclear how many buyers are willing to pay these top, and dare I say, ridiculous prices. Resale activity isn’t unusual for big releases, but these listing prices are notable given how far out the film's release is.

Interest in the Warner Bros. backed book-to-screen adaptations of Frank Herbert’s novels has become a major theatrical draw after the huge success of the first two installments. The first two movies are among Steven Spielberg’s favorite sci-fi films. The upcoming film, opening alongside Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026, is set for a high-profile box-office matchup.

The hype for Dune: Part Three is super high since it dives into Frank Herbert's second book in the franchise, Dune: Messiah. If you’ve read the novel, you already know the story grows darker and more complex, as is pretty obvious from the first trailer release. Fans will get a chance to see Paul Atreides deal with the aftermath of his rise to power. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are back in the lead roles, and there are some fresh faces in the cast as well. The flick was shot just for IMAX, making it even more ambitious than the previous installments.

The high resale prices reveal early demand for Villeneuve's Dune trilogy finale, especially for large-format screenings. Whether those prices last as ticket sales widen remains to be seen, but there's clearly demand for 70mm IMAX seats.

The 2026 movie calendar would look very different without Steven Spielberg. He helped define the modern blockbuster and set the standard for large-scale sci-fi storytelling decades ago. So when he talks about what he’s watching now, it tends to carry some weight. Well, someone better check on Denis Villeneuve because after he hears Spielberg’s glowing thoughts about his Dune Movies, he’s probably going to be feeling a particular sort of way.

As it turns out, Steven Spielberg has been paying close attention to Denis Villeneuve’s book-to-screen adaptations of the Dune series. And he’s not just a casual viewer. In a recent interview with Empire, the E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial director made it clear he sees the French-Canadian moviemaker’s take on Frank Herbert's classic series of novels as something special. He explained:

Coming from the filmmaker behind Jaws and Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and one who's so obsessed with aliens and science fiction, that's not light praise. It almost feels like a passing-of-the-torch moment between generations of sci-fi storytellers.

The Oscar-winning director didn’t stop at calling the films some of his all-time favorites. He also pointed to something that has defined Villeneuve’s approach from the start: a clear respect for the source material. He continued:

Bringing up Guillermo del Toro and his approach to Frankenstein, the iconic Hollywood filmmaker is placing the Arrival director in a specific category of filmmakers. Not just directors who adapt well-known material, but ones who treat the material with a kind of reverence that fans immediately recognize.

That comparison says a lot about how Spielberg views Dune. It’s not just a successful modern sci-fi franchise. In his eyes, it’s a careful translation of a difficult, dense work into something cinematic without losing its identity.

Villeneuve’s adaptation has always been planned as a trilogy, and the upcoming Dune: Part Three is expected to bring that story to a close, bringing the second book in the series, Dune: Messiah, to the big screen. If Spielberg’s reaction is any indication, expectations are only getting higher as the final chapter approaches.

The Schindler’s List director's praise also reinforces how rare this kind of reception is. Big-budget adaptations of beloved books don’t always land with audiences, see the late David Lynch's 1980s attempt at the very same property, and they don’t always earn this level of respect from filmmakers who helped shape the genre in the first place. The fact that the blockbuster pioneer is this enthusiastic about the series sort of proves Villeneuve’s version of Dune has already secured its place among the best sci-fi films of the modern era, and hey, maybe even cinematic history.

For Denis Villeneuve, hearing such a compliment from the Jurassic Park filmmaker is likely surreal. This is the director whose work defined what large-scale storytelling could look like on screen. To now be mentioned alongside filmmakers like del Toro, and to have Dune recognized as one of the Saving Private Ryan filmmaker’s all-time favorites, has got to feel pretty life-affirming, I'd imagine.

Dune: Part Three is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, going head-to-head with Avengers: Doomsday. And if the first two films set the foundation, the final installment now carries the weight of finishing something that has already earned the approval of one of cinema’s most influential voices.

As for Steven Spielberg, he too has an upcoming sci-fi flick on the horizon. His alien-conspiracy-theory film Disclosure Day lands in theaters this summer, on June 12, 2026.

Denis Villneave did something many had previously believed impossible when he adapted Frank Herbert’s Dune into two well-regarded and quite successful films. They were so well regarded that fans wanted to see more, and while the director initially seemed hesitant to go back to Arakis, it was eventually confirmed that Dune: Part Three was on the way.

This week, we saw the first trailer for Dune: Part Three, and while those unfamiliar with the books likely have a lot of questions about what’s going on, one of the biggest has to be ‘Wait a second, didn’t Jason Momoa’s character die in the first movie?’ This was apparently also a question Momoa himself had as he appeared at a special trailer preview event attended by CinemaBlend, where he asked Villeneuve…

I mean, the answer to both parts of that question is ultimately, because that’s what author Frank Herbert wrote in Dune and Dune: Messiah, the sequel that is the basis for Dune: Part Three. The reason for killing him off was likely just narrative necessity, as Idaho’s death leaves Paul Atraedes alone, and it is an emotional moment for the reader who likely came to like the character.

In his answer, Denis Villeneuve suggests, however, that part of the reason for the return of Duncan Idaho in the book may have been that Herbert realized he had killed off a quite popular character, and thus came up with a way to bring him back.

As far as how the return of Duncan Idaho works in the book, it’s essentially a form of cloning that allows Idaho to return, though in the book, he has no memory of his previous self (at least at first) and goes by a different name, Hayt.

Whatever the reason, Jason Momoa is certainly excited to be back in the world of Dune. You can tell by the way he asks his question that the fact that he missed out on Dune Part Two doesn’t bother him that much. He’s just glad to be back.

Dune Part Three is set to open in December, on the same day that Avengers: Doomsday will open in theaters. We would have expected one of them to move dates by now if that was going to happen, but so far it has not. If they do both open together, it’s almost guaranteed to make one of the biggest box office weekends in history.

Those who have read Frank Herbert’s Dune: Messiah have already known that the third film in director Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy adaptation would be quite different from its predecessors. The story jumps ahead in time, and instead of being a revolutionary epic, it unfolds as a political thriller – with sinister forces working to undermine the power of Emperor Paul Atreides as the Fremen jihad continues to spread across the universe. What we have not known, of course, is exactly what that would mean for the big screen vision, but this morning we have been delivered a staggering impression via the first look that is the debut trailer for Dune: Part Three.

We are still about nine months away from the highly anticipated upcoming sci-fi blockbuster arriving in theaters, but it seems that the arrival of Project Hail Mary on large format screens this coming Friday was deemed too enticing an opportunity for an early preview to pass up. I won’t say it’s not effective being watched on one’s computer, but every part of the Dune experience, including the marketing, is best seen on the biggest screen possible – and I say that with a personal stamp of approval, having attended an IMAX preview of this new trailer yesterday afternoon.

The footage doesn’t reveal much in terms of story, but we see a bunch of familiar and new faces – and even the familiar faces look considerably different given that 17 years have passed since we last saw the majority of them.

Depicting the aftermath of Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) ascendency, his launch of a cosmic war, and his agreement to marry Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) – all depicted in the end of Dune: Part Two – Dune: Part Three sees the ruler surrounded by political and personal conflict. The Fremen jihad continues and he abstains from impregnating his wife out of his commitment to and love for Chani (Zendaya).The greatest threat of all, however, comes from an antagonist conspiracy seeking to undermine his rule that sees him “gifted” with a ghola: an artificial human named Hayt (Jason Momoa) bred to resemble Paul’s mentor and friend Duncan Idaho.

The trailer features a number of returning stars, including the aforementioned Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Anya-Taylor Joy, and Jason Momoa, but it also gives us our first look at some new characters, most notably Robert Pattinson as the antagonist Face Dancer Scytale. As you probably noticed, the actor is sporting a very different look in this movie than past performances, as he has not only a short crew cut, but his hair is bleach blond.

It feels like it was just yesterday that Denis Villeneuve was first blowing our minds with his brilliant and beautiful depiction of Arrakis in 2021’s Dune, but we are now just a few months away from seeing the conclusion of the trilogy that he has personally been envisioning for decades. With the movie still in post-production following the conclusion of filming at the end of last year, this trailer is only a tease of what we can expect, and I will join all fans in savoring every peek we get in the runup to the release date. Be sure to mark your calendars: audiences around the world will be able to see Dune: Part Three on December 18, and it is expected to be one of the most special cinematic events of the year.

James Bond has been one of the most talked-about franchises recently for the simple reason that, while we know a new Bond movie is coming, we know almost nothing about it. One thing that we do know is that Denis Villeneuve will direct the film, and former Bond director Martin Campbell has some advice for the man who will launch the next era of Bond.

30 years ago, Martin Campbell directed Pierce Brosnan’s first film as James Bond, Goldeneye, and years later, he would again launch a new Bond when Daniel Craig took over the role for Casino Royale. Speaking with Gold Derby Campbell has simple (though expletive-ridden) advice for Villeneuve, saying basically, “don’t overthink it.” Campbell said…

As different as Goldeneye and Casino Royale are in many respects, there’s no question that they are both James Bond movies. And it’s likely that underlying quality that Campbell is talking about when he says “don’t break what isn’t broken.” There’s a core formula to what makes a Bond movie that clearly works, and trying to be too radical with your interpretation runs a risk.

This also seems to be what Campbell means when he says the next Bond doesn’t need to be a reboot. There’s no need to start this new Bond era with something drastically different. Although from a plot standpoint, the next Bond actually will need to be some sort of reboot; the last James Bond died.

This detail has reportedly been something of a problem for new franchise owners Amazon MGM as they attempt to get the new era of Bond going. It seems that the fact that Bond died in the last movie is being seen as a difficult hurdle to overcome, although most audiences, when given a James Bond movie, will likely simply enjoy a James Bond movie.

Denis Villeneuve’s abilities as a director are not in question. He’s made numerous great films, and is in the middle of completing a trilogy of three of the most intensely produced science fiction movies ever made. Still, we don’t really know what a 007 movie under Villeneuve will look like.

Reports are that a new Bond movie will focus on the youngest Bond we’ve seen on screen. Beyond that, we’ll likely have to wait for a script to be completed before the real search for the next James Bond can truly begin.

A few weeks ago, after the release of A House of Dynamite on the 2025 movie schedule, a colleague recommended Annie Jacobson’s 2024 non-fiction book Nuclear War: A Scenario and explained how Denis Villeneuve was attached to direct an adaptation. I immediately turned on the audiobook version (narrated by the Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist) to see what the fuss was about. What followed was an intense, harrowing, and unforgettable experience like no other.

With Vileneuve attached to direct the upcoming book-to-screen adaptation at some point (he has a lot on his plate right now), I’m both excited and absolutely terrified by the prospect of one of the great filmmakers of our time bringing nuclear war to the big screen. Here are a few things I cannot wait to see when Nuclear War comes out.

I’m Both Excited And Terrified To See How Villenueve Escalates The Tension Before The First Explosion

Like a lot of older Cold War dramas and more recent movies dealing with devastating attacks, Nuclear War: A Scenario spends a great deal of time escalating the tension before the first of many warheads explodes. Going minute-by-minute (and second-by-second at times), the book wastes no time getting things going, and that intensity just builds and builds and builds over the course of many pages, but only a few minutes in the story.

This is something Kathryn Bigelow did quite well with A House of Dynamite, as pointed out by several critics, and I’m honestly eager and terrified to see how Denis Villeneuve takes Annie Jacobson’s timeline from page to screen. It’s going to be harrowing for sure, but also a bit exciting, which honestly has me more horrified than anything.

The Nuclear Attack On Washington, D.C. Is Going To Be Insane, And I Don’t Know If I’m Ready

Unlike A House of Dynamite, which ends before the bomb explodes over Chicago, the initial attack by North Korea is just the beginning of Nuclear War: A Scenario. While we were left wondering about the fate of the “Windy City,” and the world in general, in the 2025 Netflix movie, Abbie Jacobson’s book spares no detail regarding the death, destruction, and chaos of nuclear war. Partway through the book, a nuclear warhead explodes above the Pentagon, instantly killing hundreds of thousands of people, destroying iconic landmarks, and vaporizing centuries of history in a flash.

With Denis Villeneuve’s track record and attention to detail when it comes to massive action sequences, this has the potential to be one of the greatest explosions in cinematic history. I can only imagine how he’ll handle things like roads being turned into molten rock, people being turned to small piles of ash, or those unlucky enough to survive the initial blast trying to make sense of Hell on Earth.

This Is Especially True For The Description Of What Happens At The National Zoo

I don’t want to go into too graphic of detail, but there’s a chapter taking place after the first bomb drops where Annie Jacobson describes what happens to the animals at the National Zoo, some seven miles from the Pentagon as the crow flies. While the book is filled from top to bottom with death, destruction, chaos, and realized fears, this section was the one that impacted me the most and honestly made me sick to my stomach.

Like the humans in the scenario, the lucky animals died instantly in the flash of heat, energy, and nuclear power, leaving behind the not-so-lucky to either suffocate or be burned to death in the seconds, minutes, and hours following the attack. The way the book explains the desperate situation of elephants, monkeys, zebras, and all other types of creatures trapped in cages and enclosures, unable to escape, is just so harrowing and heartbreaking. I think this would be necessary to show the unrelenting power and devastation of nuclear bombs, but yeah, it’s going to be hard to watch.

The Communication Breakdown That Turns A Single Attack Into A Global Extinction Is Something I’m Dreading

Another aspect of Nuclear War: A Scenario that was explored in A House of Dynamite, at least to a certain degree, was the breakdown of communication and losing contact with members of the government, military officials, and foreign leaders can lead to disaster. However, if Denis Villeneuve makes a faithful adaptation of the nonfiction book, he’ll need to go deeper and harder when pressing the point.

There’s one chapter in the book where the United States fires retaliatory nuclear missiles at North Korea, which have to fly over Russia to hit their targets. However, due to an error with Russian radars, the nuclear superpower is under the impression that the warheads are headed to them. Not able to reach the U.S. President (who is either MIA or dying), his Russian counterpart fires no one, not 20, but 1,000 missiles. And that’s just a small part of the story…

I’m Also Terrified To See How Villeneuve Handles The Fallout Of Nuclear War

Nuclear War: A Scenario goes millennia into the future, long after the final nuclear bomb has exploded and nearly all traces of society have been wiped away. Before the promise of a new tomorrow tens of thousands of years into the future, there’s the immediate and intermediate fallout of nuclear war. No, not like from the Fallout TV show or other sci-fi stories dealing with similar end-of-the-world events, but instead an unflinching and sobering exploration of what life would be like after the mushroom clouds settled, and those unlucky enough to survive the attacks tried to survive.

In some of Denis Villeneuve’s best movies, the filmmaker has found ways to tell devastating, emotional, and impactful stories that touch on everything from death to ruin to salvation, and it’ll be interesting to see how he handles this scenario. Oh, I’m sure it will be unsettling and hard to watch without feeling absolutely gutted, but I’ll be there.

Outside of the final chapters of the book (and a few history lessons along the way), Nuclear War: A Scenario plays out over the course of 72 minutes, 72 minutes that turn a normal day of the week into the end of the world. The fate of billions of lives changing in a little over an hour is utterly terrifying. Now we get to see how Denis Villeneuve handles that…

I’ve been cautiously hopeful ever since the announcement Denis Villeneuve would direct a third installment in his Dune saga. But as we know, “hope clouds observation.” Or something like that. But the threequel just hit an exciting milestone that makes that 2026 movie release feel truly locked in. Consider me buzzing.

The reveal came via Timothée Chalamet fan account Timothée Chalamet Nation on X (formerly Twitter), which posted a production image announcing, “That’s a wrap!” on Dune: Part Three, along with a thank-you to the cast and crew and a note touting a theatrical date—again, per the fan account’s post, not the studio’s. The shared image, shown below, featuring a wrap screen and a still of Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, is the clearest public signal yet that the next chapter is moving from the shifting sands of development into post-production.

Early reports suggested the production began in July and clocked roughly four months of filming before calling it. Allegedly, and bolstered by the image revealed in the post above, Warner Bros. has settled on the straightforward title Dune: Part Three, and not Dune: Messiah, even as the story is drawn from and set to be a book-to-screen adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1969 third novel in the Dune series of novels. That naming choice could be quietly telling. It suggests Villeneuve isn’t just adapting Messiah; he may be threading in pieces of Children of Dune to close the trilogy in one sweeping chapter.

Casting backs this read. Per Empire’s reporting, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke have joined the Dune 3 cast as Leto II and Ghanima, the children of Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya). That all but confirms a time jump, aging the twins past their newborn moment at the end of Messiah and nudging the story toward the next book’s terrain. How far Villeneuve goes is the big swing—maybe a handful of pages to set an endgame, maybe a bolder reshape that spotlights the twins’ rise. The safer bet is the former, but the door’s open.

There’s a format twist, too. Whereas the first two films were shot digitally, Part Three is being shot on film, specifically 15-perf 65mm IMAX and 5-perf 65mm, per Kodak’s now-deleted Instagram story tease which was documented over on Reddit. With Linus Sandgren behind the camera, expect a grain-rich, organic finish that leans into heat haze, skin tone, and sheer scale in ways even premium digital struggles to match. Villeneuve has never been shy about image craft; this reads like a final-chapter flex.

With Dune: Part Three officially wrapped, the clock’s ticking, and momentum is real. The film hits theaters on December 18, 2026—going head-to-head with Avengers: Doomsday at the box office. After the mega success of Barbenheimer, we know smart counterprogramming can explode; fans are already calling this one “Dunesday.” I’ve never been more pumped.

As we wait for more information on the upcoming third movie in the sci-fi epic franchise, we can revisit the first two films, available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies have been wildly popular, and are some of the best book to screen adaptations in recent years. While it originally looked like the filmmaker was taking a break from Arrakis, production on Part Three is underway. The threequel will feature Robert Pattinson in a mystery role, and the Batman actor recently explained the upside to filming while hot AF in the middle of a desert. Let's break it all down.

Dune: Part Three, which was recently renamed from Messiah, will seemingly be set years after the ending of Dune 2. Fans of the first two titles (which are streaming with a HBO Max subscription) are eager to jump back in, but newcomer Robert Pattinson spoke to IndieWire about just how tiring it's been to shoot. As he shared:

Honestly, this does sound somewhat freeing. While shooting a big budget blockbuster like Dune: Part Three comes with some high stakes, it sounds like the heat exhaustion ended up freeing Pattinson from any intrusive thoughts or anxiety about joining the Oscar-winning franchise. I can only imagine just how much the Twilight alum sweat while shooting the mysterious project

Being so overwhelmingly hot seemingly freed up some brain space for Pattinson in the midst of filming the Dune threequel. And the exhaustion helped him to be even more moldable by Denis Villeneuve, rather than overthinking the direction he was getting. It sounds like hot yoga but for actors.

There are countless questions about what Denis Villeneuve has up his sleeve for Dune: Part Three. If it's an accurate adaptation of Messiah, we'd follow Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides years after Part Two. He's been ruling as Emperor, having accepted himself as Muad'Dib aka the messiah of the Fremen. Aside from Robert Pattinson's mysterious role, moviegoers are also hyped to see Anya Taylor-Joy's Alia Atreides following her cameo in the second film.

Dune: Part Three marks yet another major franchise that Pattinson is getting involved in, addition to smaller indie titles. Obviously he remains synonymous with his tenure as Edward in the Twilight saga, but is also the most recent live-action version of Batman. Unfortunately, it's going to be years before we see what Matt Reeves has planned for The Batman: Part II.

All will be revealed when Dune: Part Three hits theaters on December 18th of next year as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully we get some information, including who Robert Pattinson will be playing, sooner rather than later.

Before Denis Villeneuve starts working on the next James Bond movie, he’ll deliver Dune: Part Three to the 2026 movies schedule. The filmmaker is wrapping up his time in this sci-fi world with the film adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah. Rebecca Ferguson is among the familiar faces who will be back for Dune 3, and the actress opened up reprising Lady Jessica under Villeneuve’s direction again.

While speaking about her new movie A House of Dynamite, which debuts in theaters this Friday and will be accessible with a Netflix subscription starting October 24, Ferguson told Indiewire that she’s already shot her Dune: Part Three scenes. The actress won’t have as big a presence in the threequel compared to the first two Dune movies, saying:

Jessica was indeed not present in Dune Messiah, as she’d returned to Calandan while her son, Paul Atreides, stayed to rule Arrakis. However, Denis Villeneuve found a way to insert Rebecca Ferguson’s version of the character into the story, and it sounds like she’s impressed with how he pulled that off. I’ll be curious to what this minor role entails and how much screen time this will give her with Timothée Chalamet, who plays Paul.

The good news is that if Children of Dune, which follows Dune Messiah, is also adapted into a movie, Rebecca Ferguson will have plenty to do, as Lady Jessica has a major role in that story. The bad news, as mentioned earlier, is that Denis Villeneuve won’t be directing her. Considering how critically and commercially successful the Dune movies have been for Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary, I suspect they’ll want to keep this film series going after Villeneuve’s exit. So if Ferguson can be persuaded to do a Children of Dune movie, it’ll be interesting to hear her opinion about what it was like being directed in this franchise by someone new.

Going back to Dune: Part Three, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin and Anya Taylor-Joy are also reprising their respective roles. They’ll be joined by newcomers Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke as Paul and Chani’s children, Leto II and Ghanima, and Robert Pattinson has been cast in an undisclosed role. As with Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve co-wrote the Part Three script with Jon Spaihts.

Dune: Part Three is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, the same day as Avengers: Doomsday. If you have an HBO Max subscription, you can stream the first two Dune movies, as well as the prequel TV series Dune: Prophecy, whenever you’d like.

The next chapter in the James Bond movie franchise may still be a few years out, but the upcoming Bond 26 already sounds like a bold departure from what’s come before—and in the best way possible. With rumors swirling about a long-term 007 successor, the question is: how are director Denis Villeneuve and the creative team approaching the search? Now, we finally have an update.

Deadline reports that Dune and Blade Runner 2049 helmer Denis Villeneuve is planning to start the search for the next 007 once he wraps production on Dune: Part Three in 2026. If you’re hoping for a big-name casting announcement soon, don’t hold your breath. Villeneuve and the producers are reportedly going all-in on a “fresh start,” aiming to cast a British actor—ideally an unknown—in his late 20s to early 30s. They’re looking for someone with raw presence and serious grit. As one source close to the production put it:

The casting is shaping up to give us a leaner, meaner 007 who's grounded in the spirit of Ian Fleming’s original novels. Villeneuve’s team is allegedly leaning into the early Bond material Casino Royale, From Russia With Love and Doctor No, and bringing the character back to his roots, which is a cold, calculating Royal Navy Commander-turned-MI6 operative; less globe-trotting flash and more of a blunt instrument.

If the reporting plays out to be true, it probably rules out a lot of the fan-favorite names that get tossed around every time a new Bond casting comes up. Think Timothée Chalamet, Glen Powell, Jacob Elordi, Austin Butler and pretty much anyone not from the UK. It also likely means we can cross off longtime fan-cast contenders like Idris Elba, Henry Cavill and Tom Hardy, who are either too high-profile or aging out of the vision being shaped here.

This movie won’t pick up where No Time to Die ended. That Bond is dead—literally. Villeneuve’s 007 is reportedly a complete reset, meaning new actor, new timeline and new creative team. The insider went on to say:

That means no returning cast or callbacks to the Daniel Craig era. Unlike previous transitions, where actors like Bernard Lee (M), Lois Maxwell (Moneypenny) and Judi Dench (M) carried over between Bond actors, this reboot is starting entirely from scratch. Dench remains the only actor to span two timelines, making her role especially unique. Yet for Bond 26, it’s all-new everything.

The Bond 26 script, written by Peaky Blinders and Eastern Promises scribe Steven Knight, is still in progress, but all signs point to something more stripped-down and brutal, likely with less gadgetry and a greater focus on grit. It’ll probably feel a lot like early Connery, but with a modern edge. That sounds like a lot of fun to me.

Per Deadline, casting for the next 007 installment won’t begin until Dune: Part Three wraps, with filming expected to start in 2027 and a release slated for 2028. A November premiere is rumored to keep with tradition. We’ll keep you posted as more details emerge.

Some of Hollywood’s greatest directors put in a lot of work to produce films fit for IMAX, though cinephiles should also be aware of other people who’ve helped make the format what it is today. David Keighley – IMAX’s longtime chief quality officer – was such a person, and he sadly passed away recently at the age of 77. Keighley deserves much of our thanks for his contributions to cinema, and he’s now being honored fittingly. That’s because Christopher Nolan, James Cameron and others are paying tribute to Keighley.

Christopher Nolan has been a true champion of the IMAX format, as he’s utilized it for many of his films, from The Dark Knight and Interstellar to Dunkirk and Oppenheimer. With that, Nolan’s films were overseen by David Keighley and as noted by THR, Keighley was evaluating dailies of Nolan’s latest flick, The Odyssey, shortly before his death. Keighley’s son, media pundit Geoff Keighley, shared Nolan’s tribute and those from others on Instagram, and the British director had nothing but praise for his “friend” and “mentor”:

James Cameron also had the opportunity to work with the late Keighley over the course of his career. In his own message Cameron – whose next feature is the IMAX-filmed Avatar: Fire and Ash – affectionately recalled working with Keighley on various cinematic endeavors:

David Keighley died due to neuroendocrine prostate cancer, as Geoff explained. Amid his over-50-year career, David – along with his wife, Patricia – was instrumental in helping to readjust some of Hollywood’s biggest movies for the format he passionately championed. As Christopher Nolan mentioned, the last completed movie David worked on was Ryan Coogler’s acclaimed vampire epic, Sinners. Coogler was reflected on meeting and getting to know the late executive, fondly recalling their chats and tours of IMAX headquarters:

Francis Ford Coppola recalled working with Keighley as well, not only expressing his condolences but calling his death “a major loss for cinema” as well. Another auteur, Denis Villeneuve offered praise for Keighley as well. Villeneuve – who’s currently in production on another film set for IMAX, Dune: Part Three – had this to say:

Thanks to Keighley’s efforts, moviegoers around the world have been able to enjoy massive films in IMAX theaters. I’ve personally seen more than my fair share of flicks in the format and am planning to see a few more films that way before the 2025 movie schedule wraps up. The cinema-loving public owes Keighley a great deal of gratitude for what he accomplished, and it’s wonderful that some of the industry’s biggest directors are honoring him. We here at CinemaBlend extend our condolences to the Keighley family at this time.

The 2025 movie schedule has been quite active when it comes to the next age of 007. As the upcoming James Bond 26 continues to staff up, the search for the next face of Ian Fleming’s literary legend seems to draw closer. Another piece fell into place today, as Denis Villeneuve’s next gig after Dune: Part Three now has a writer. That hiring is not only exciting because it brings us that much closer to the new world of Bond, I think it tells us a lot about the sort of tone we should expect.

Steven Knight, creator of Peaky Blinders and writer behind such films as Eastern Promises and Allied, has been unveiled as the next scribe in charge of England's superior spy. Per the official press release from Amazon MGM Studios, his hiring was announced as follows:

I hate to break it to you folks at home hoping for a return to the more carefree days of Roger Moore’s James Bond, but I think we’re about to see some more gritty adventure after our hero crosses that gun barrel. Bringing in the director of Sicario and the writer behind one of the darkest interpretations of A Christmas Carol together doesn't exactly set off slide whistles in fans’ ears.

What’s also interesting to note is the fact that it also appears that long time Bond franchise writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are not even in the equation. Mainstays since 1999’s The World is Not Enough, the team would usually work with new collaborators to shape the latest entry in this storied brand. If ever there was a sign of Amazon MGM’s James Bond deal being in full effect, it would probably be this.

I’m not highlighting these facts to be a naysayer, especially as a fan of the darker, more serialized story told during Daniel Craig’s tenure in the tuxedo. Rather, this hire is set to dictate the tone of perhaps the most anticipated decision of all - the next 007. As Amazon’s supposed James Bond wishlist has Tom Holland and contemporaries tipped off as hot tickets, Steven Knight’s script is going to be the template from which actors will have to work with.

While there probably won’t be any specially written sides for future Bonds to try out, the tradition of using classic 007 moments to audition new actors will probably be the next indication of what to expect. As the writer is the engine that drives the direction of the story, provided it agrees with producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman’s vision, whispers about what Mr. Knight’s work will resemble are going to be more important than ever.

I wouldn’t be expecting any breadcrumbs in the near future though. Bond 26 is still in the early phases of development, with the rumored release date for James Bond’s return not arriving until 2028 at the "earliest." So be sure to keep your martini cool in the meantime, as we’ve all got plenty of time to make sure our tuxes go to the cleaners.

With Dune 3 already on the 2026 movie release calendar for a December premiere, filmmaker Denis Villeneuve and the cast are getting started on filming the exciting sequel. Jason Momoa is among the returning cast, and he just filmed himself shaving his iconic beard to get ready to play Duncan Idaho again. Spoiler alert: he prefers facial hair.

Jason Momoa Shaves His Beard For The First Time In Years For Dune 3

The Aquaman actor is well known for rocking a beard, but as you might recall, he was actually clean-shaven for a few scenes in the first Dune movie as Duncan Idaho. Now that Jason Momoa is set to return to the storyline, it seems as though Denis Villeneuve has asked him to ditch the facial hair again, and he’s obliging. Check out the below video from Momoa’s Instagram:

Momoa said he hasn’t shaved in “six years” (for the first Dune movie) but “here we are again” thanks to his role in Dune 3. In the video above, Momoa quipped “Only for you, Denis” along with hilariously looking at his reflection and admitting he hates the look of himself after shaving his beard himself on camera.

And likely because the actor knew there would be a lot of eyes on the moment, he spent a good portion of the video talking up his bottled water company, Mananalu, which aims to promote reducing the use of plastic bottling by selling the product in reusable bottles made out of aluminum or glass.

How Does Duncan Idaho Return After His Death In Dune: Part I?

I know what you’re thinking: how the heck can Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho return after his fate in Dune: Part One? Well, the character does make a return in Dune Messiah, which Dune 3 is adapting, as a clone made by a character named Bene Tleilax and gifted to Timothée Chalamet’s character, Paul Atriedes.

While we were originally led to believe Villeneuve would wait a few years before diving back into the Dune franchise, the filmmaker shared that he was empowered by the reception of Dune: Part Two, and went right into writing the next movie.

Dune 3 is a big deal for Jason Momoa specifically because his son Nakoa-Wolf Momoa was cast to play the son of Paul Atriedes and Chani. Momoa has said that he didn’t actually want him to act, but he got the part “all on his own.” The Momoas join Zendaya, Florence Pugh and reportedly Robert Pattinson in the role of the movie’s villain.

Jason Momoa might not like his new look, but it gets us stoked for the return of Duncan Idaho. We’ll be able to see the clean-shaven actor in the sci-fi role when the next Dune movie hits theaters on December 18, 2026, yes, on the same day as Avengers: Doomsday’s release.

As the 2025 movie schedule turns, we’ve seen a lot of movement on the picture we still call James Bond 26. A whole bunch of changes have taken shape, most notably the departure of former Bond producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson. The long-time producers of the 007 saga aren’t totally divested from the goings on, however, as Ms. Broccoli has actually shared her reaction to Denis Villeneuve landing the Bond 26 director’s chair.

During her chat on film critic Mark Kermode’s podcast, Kermode on Film, the previous overseer of the James Bond movies provided this feedback:

Denis Villeneuve, much like former competitor Christopher Nolan, is someone we all know has been chasing that famed gun barrel. With Amazon-MGM’s rumored Bond 26 plans seeming to gain momentum, the hiring has sparked all sorts of speculation, especially when it comes to the recently rumored James Bond candidates.

At the same time, the progress on the follow-up to No Time to Die has seen momentous shake-ups altering the playing field for the first time in decades. Thanks to Amazon-MGM’s James Bond deal, the studio has creative control, which saw the hiring of producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman as the new overseers of all things Bond.

Meanwhile, Barbara Broccoli seems to be at peace with her trajectory moving forward, post-007. While there were reports of alleged frustration with Amazon-MGM's executive team on where to take things after Daniel Craig's tenure concluded, the optimism shown in this interview seems to run counter to that impression.

Commenting on her time in the franchise, as well as her plans for the future, the producer of the stage musical adaptation of Sing Street had this to say:

Clearly, there are open roads for all, based on what’s been said here. It truly is sweet to see Barbara Broccoli throwing her support behind Denis Villeneuve, as he makes his way to his Bond 26 duties. Now, all that needs to happen is for the recently retitled Dune: Part Three to be completed, and the Sicario mastermind can get to the task at hand.

Oh, and there’s also the task of getting a script in play. Not to mention hiring the new James Bond, and the rest of the MI6 family - should they be present in this new relaunch. We’ve still got some time until James Bond returns, but if you want to catch up with Paul Atredies, the spice will flow again into theaters on December 18, 2026.

I have been awed by Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies to date, as every move made in adapting the source material has been impeccable. The idea to split Frank Herbert's novel into two halves proved to be an inspired choice, allowing the full scope of the book to be rendered on the big screen, and while certain changes have been made with the story for the movies, they've all been smart calls with positive outcomes.

It's because of this track record that I am particularly disappointed with the latest news about the upcoming blockbuster based on Dune: Messiah: rather than using the name of the novel on which the film will be based, it's now being reported by Variety that the project will sport the much blander title Dune: Part Three.

Am I surprised? Not really. When discussing modern movies, one of my go-to complaints nowadays is how dull titles are getting, and this certainly fits that trend. Plus, I can easily imagine some executives being nervous because people might confuse Dune: Messiah with Dune: Prophecy – the HBO prequel show that aired earlier this year. But am I nonetheless disappointed that it's happening? Absolutely.

The upcoming movie (which will complete the blockbuster trilogy that Denis Villeneuve has envisioned) is based on Frank Herbert's second novel in the Dune series, which is set years after the end of the first book and sees the rule of Emperor Paul Atreides undermined as a conspiracy is executed in the shadows involving the resurrection of Duncan Idaho as a clone named Hayt, who is used to manipulate his old mentee.

Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh will all be back to reprise their roles as Paul Atredies, Chani, and Princess Irulan, respectively, and after missing the action of Dune: Part Two, Jason Momoa will be playing Hayt in the Dune: Messiah adaptation. It has also been reported that Nakoa-Wolf Momoa (Jason Momoa's son) and Ida Brooke have been cast to play the twin children of Paul and Chani, and there have been said that Robert Pattinson is being eyed for the role of Scytale – a principal antagonist in the book.

Denis Villeneuve was originally planning to take a step back from the world of Dune following the completion and release of Dune: Part Two, but he has said that his desire to quickly continue work on the series has been motivated by the emotional cliffhanger of the 2024 sequel. Production on Dune: Part Three is already underway, and it has been confirmed that select sequences will be shot with IMAX cameras (it has been erroneously reported that the movie will be filmed entirely in the expanded format like Christopher Nolan's upcoming The Odyssey). Warner Bros. has already announced plans to have the blockbuster arrive in theaters December 18, 2026.

I'm bummed that the film is going to have a terribly boring title, but I am excited for the work nonetheless. Stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about Dune: Part Three, and if you're feeling in the mood to rewatch/check out the previous two blockbusters, both are currently available to stream with a HBO Max subscription.

What does a James Bond movie directed by Denis Villeneuve look like? That has become a significant question for 007 fans in recent days, as the acclaimed filmmaker behind Blade Runner 2049, Dune, and Dune: Part Two has signed a deal that will see him helm the first film in the post-Daniel Craig era of the superspy franchise. Many will be waiting with baited breath for all of the new insight that will be offered in the coming days regarding his vision – but that really just makes it all the funnier that his first comments about directing a Bond movie were published nearly a full decade ago.

In the last 10 years of his career, the French-Canadian filmmaker has demonstrated himself to be a diverse storyteller when it comes to genre, and when he tipped his toed into the world of action in 2015 with his crime thriller Sicario, it got him thinking about what he might do with a James Bond blockbuster. Speaking with ComingSoon.net about his aspirations, Villeneuve said,

Denis Villeneuve is only now attached to make a James Bond movie, but audiences have certainly seen the sensibilities that he has described here in his work. His films aren't totally without great dialogue-driven scenes, but he is a very visual storyteller who very clearly prefers showing over telling, and it will be fascinating to see how that translates to his adventure with 007.

When I consider this comment, I particularly find myself wondering how the hiring of Denis Villeneuve will impact the casting process. The most recent rumors have suggested that Tom Holland, Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson are among the finalists for the gig, and I wonder if there might be an inclination to favor a star in that group with non-verbal charisma to best fit Villeneuve's style. That being said, Villeneuve is reportedly only contracted to make one Bond movie, and that means he may not have traditional sway when it comes to picking the new face of the franchise.

There is still a lot that we don't know about Bond 26, and it may be a minute until we get more firm facts about the production given that Denis Villeneuve is currently developing Dune: Messiah as his next feature and the spy movie has an ETA of 2028. That being said, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for all of the latest updates about the project as they are announced.

While things seem to be moving at a breakneck pace on the 2025 movie schedule, things aren’t fast enough for 007 to return before the year’s end. I certainly didn’t expect that to change, but with James Bond 26 now securing Dune mastermind/long-time favorite Denis Villeneuve as its director, you could practically hear the Aston Martin DB5 warming up its engines.

Now, while Amazon-MGM Studios is reportedly shifting gears with rumors of three actors being considered for the tuxedo, two more rumors have me thinking a little harder about all of this forward action.

Tom Holland And Two Other Actors Allegedly Make Up Amazon’s Bond 26 Wish List

Oh, I can remember a time when rumors of a Tom Holland-led “Young Bond” movie seemed to feel out of pocket. But now Variety has unnamed sources claiming that he’s one of three young actors being considered by the Amazon-MGM brass as the next Commander Bond.

Along with the current Spider-Man lead are Euphoria and Frankenstein’s Jacob Elordi and Harris Dickinson, who already feels like a strong candidate after his work in The King’s Man. Between Spider-Man: Brand New Day and Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, Holland is probably the least likely candidate, as his 2026 is going to be booked and busy.

If it really is going to come down to Elordi and Dickinson, I'd personally side with the latter, but that's only because I need to dig further into the former's filmography. Also, I'd like to point out that despite previous stipulations from IO Interactive, it's not too late to consider rumored First Light star Patrick Gibson as our next Bond.

In either scenario, another complication could see itself affecting our hypothetical Bond 26 lead's big debut.

Denis Villeneuve’s Bond 26 Is Supposedly A One And Done Deal, With No Final Cut

For a moment there, I was getting comfortable with how Villeneuve’s Bond 26 hiring potentially meant we could see the likes of Christopher Nolan being welcomed with open arms later on. That moment has passed now, as Dune: Messiah’s creative father has seemingly run into the traditional stumbling block of not being granted final cut on his James Bond adventure.

Both of those caveats could mean that hiring 007 is more of a decision to be made by current Bond producers Amy Pascal and David Heyman. Which, to me, feels like Denis Villeneuve will not be too engrained in the casting process for our next James Bond. That could complicate things, as depending on how much say he has in the matter, the Blade Runner 2049 visionary might need some more time to adapt to whomever becomes the next face of Commander Bond.

What makes that feel even weirder is that, according to the same source cited above, Nolan was apparently hotly considered by Amazon-MGM Studios to direct the next 007 picture. But it sounds like The Odyssey may have been the deal breaker, as it needs to be ready for release next summer. That suggestion not only has me thinking Tom Holland will be out, in case he’s needed for reshoots/promotion, but it also points to a potentially record-breaking bummer.

A Bond 26 Release Date Prior To 2028 Is Supposedly “Impossible”

This is perhaps the most worrisome development in this whole scenario, as Bond 26’s rumored plans had a 2027 release date in the cards. That apparently is no longer the case, as these anonymous voices of insight have written that off as a mission that’s too impossible. 2028 is allegedly the window of opportunity, which would make the gap between No Time To Die and this next picture almost seven years.

Apparently, the scope of Bond 26 is what has folks concerned about the road ahead. And yet Casino Royale came together in a little over a year, with Daniel Craig’s announcement in October 2005 leading to the picture filming between January and July 2006, for a November release.

Does anybody else want a refill on their martini, because it’s starting to feel like everything’s coming together, with a couple of caveats? I get that these sorts of hiccups can be expected with a changing of the guard, but some of this speculation puts a little more pressure on the future of the James Bond franchise.

I guess we'll just have to take a moment to breathe and wait for further intel. Whatever happens next, may it be the best move possible, as rushing into a 007 movie is more foolhardy than monologuing your plan before killing Commander Bond himself.

Denis Villeneuve has become one of those directors where I perk up when I hear about a new project he’s working on. With the exception of Enemy, I’ve seen every one of his films since 2013’s Prisoners, and I was especially impressed with his two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s seminal sci-fi novel Dune. So you can imagine my relief when it was confirmed that Villeneuve would return to helm Dune 3, i.e. an adaptation of Dune Messiah. However, if I’m being honest, now I’m way more excited by the news that he’ll be working on the James Bond franchise after that.

Amazon MGM Studios has announced that Denis Villeneuve will direct the next James Bond movie, informally known as Bond 26, as well as executive produce alongside Tanya Lapointe. Amy Pascal and David Herman are also producing. Here’s what Villeneuve said in an official statement:

And with that, my interest in the James Bond franchise just grew significantly. Although I was familiar with the man classified as 007 growing up, I never watched any of the flicks starring Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton or Pierce Brosnan. Frankly, seeing the Austin Powers trilogy poke fun at the tropes in those movies made me less inclined to check them out. It’s only when Daniel Craig started playing the spy in 2006’s Casino Royale that I finally got invested in the character, watching his journey all the way to the end in 2021’s No Time to Die.

We’re still a long ways off from learning who will play Daniel Craig’s successor in the first James Bond movie to be released since Amazon MGM obtained creative control of the franchise. But now that Denis Villeneuve will be leaving his stamp on Bond 26 once he’s done with Dune 3, I’m more invested in following along with news on its development. Here’s what Amy Pascal and David Heyman said about Villeneuve’s hiring:

Villeneuve was one of four directors who were reported to be in the running for Bond 26 just a few days ago, the other three being Edgar Wright, Jonathan Nolan and Paul King. He’s also expressed interest in directing a James Bond movie stretching way back to when he was doing press for Sicario. If there’s any downside to this James Bond news, it’s that Villeneuve is either no longer directing his movie version of Nuclear War: A Scenario or pushing it way back.

CinemaBlend will continue passing along updates on how Bond 26 is coming along. For now, remember that Denis Villeneuve’s work in Dune and Dune: Part Two can be streamed with a Max subscription, and Dune 3 is expected to be released on December 18, 2026.

I think a lot of us have felt that the 2025 movie schedule has cast a long shadow on the future of James Bond 26. With a lawsuit challenging 007's copyright status, Amazon-MGM Studios’ potential golden goose looked like they were going to put the brakes on the momentum the project seemed to be gathering. But apparently that’s not the case, as four major directors rumored are rumored to be taking meetings to be the conductor for this hype train.

Bond 26’s Directors Race Alleged Field Is A Winsome Mix

Per rumors being reported by Puck, the rumors of Amazon-MGM’s ambitious Bond 26 plans to get our hero back into theaters by the end of 2027 seem to still be in play. In fact, the lowdown from the publication has sources placing new 007 producing team Amy Pascal and David Heyman in the thick of evaluating this pack of helmers for the job:

Ok, this is getting more interesting than I thought. Naturally Villeneuve’s previous desires to direct Bond are a good fit, and the man’s been tipped before as a good fit. Also Edgar Wright is someone who’s definitely popped up in the past, specifically thanks to Last Night in Soho showing he’s someone who loves the classic 00-formula.

However, the newcomers to the fold are pretty huge standouts. Jonathan Nolan, a hit through narrative driven series like Fallout and a co-writer on The Dark Knight, would be a tremendous hire. Not to mention, Paul King, director of the first two Paddington movies, is a spirited choice as well.

With Edward Berger also in the mix, this could be a sign that the rumored Bourne reboot could be discarding his pitch entirely. It's a crowded field of top tier winners, but at this point you’re probably wondering what happened with Alfonso Cuarón’s rumored case to direct Bond 26?

Well, sadly, these rumors seem to confirm something we’ve heard for some time now, as this report says the Gravity helmer “recently took himself out of consideration.” This changing of the guard certainly gives this subject some much needed energy. And that naturally leads into the order of operations revealed when it comes to this next action-adventure epic.

What The Current Bond 26 Plan Looks Like, According To These Rumors

A new directing candidate for Bond 26 is cool and all, but what does this mean for the road map Amazon-MGM Studios has allegedly laid out? Well, Puck’s reporting claims that path is laid out. And if we’re looking at Bond 26 hitting theaters by the end of 2027, this hypothetical timetable tracks:

Honestly, I wouldn’t be surprised if a rough idea is already in the chamber, with long time James Bond writers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade laying out a framework for the post-No Time To Die introduction of the next Commander Bond. And if the directors in contention really are already thinking about their ideal 007, that also helps grease the rails for the casting process.

All that needs to happen now is for Amazon-MGM’s producing team to pick the vision that best suits their idea for James Bond’s future, and the team that suitably represents that vision. Which, even in the EON Productions era, usually presents the most hangups. But with the speed that's present in the recent days of this process, it doesn't sound insane to think that we might know who the next James Bond is at some point next year.

Considering the recent 007 legal woes that have threatened the future of the series, that feels like a simple walk across the gun barrel. But obviously all of this is far from gospel, so we have plenty of time to get our tuxedos to the cleaners for the big announcement; whenever that may be.

Denis Villeneuve has brought together some of the biggest stars and greatest acting talents working today to star in his Dune movies. Timotheé Chalamet is the big headliner, but the science-fiction canon is populated with the likes of Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin, Christopher Walken, Oscar Isaac, Austin Butler, and many more. This in mind, it makes all the sense in the world that the upcoming sequel Dune: Messiah is looking to add Robert Pattinson in a significant role.

News of this development comes from Deadline, which has sources that say a formal deal has not been put out to to Pattinson, but there is "strong interest" in having the Batman star come aboard Denis Villeneuve's trilogy capstone in the Dune universe. The trade report doesn't include any details about the role that the actor could play in Dune: Messiah, but based on my knowledge of the Frank Herbert-authored source material, I think he could be a great fit for the part of antagonistic shapeshifter Scytale.

Set 12 years after Paul Atreides first ascends to the role of Emperor (as seen at the end of Dune: Part Two), Dune: Messiah centers on a conspiracy to take Paul out of power. Part of the group working to undermine the protagonist is a collection of characters including Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Mohaim (portrayed by Charlotte Rampling in the previous two Dune movies), Irulan (Florence Pugh), and the aforementioned shapeshifter – a Face Dancer in Dune parlance – Scytale. When considering the collection of new characters in the book, it's the most obvious fit for Robert Pattinson.

One would think that the biggest question mark in this potential casting would be about scheduling. The plan for Dune: Messiah is to shoot this summer ahead of a planned December 2026 release date, and he has a number of other big projects on his plate. He has reportedly completed work on writer/director Kristoffer Borgli's The Drama (co-starring Dune star Zendaya) and he is now working on Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey. And let's also not forget that he has commitments to play the lead in Matt Reeves' slow-developing The Batman Part II.

This is the first report we're hearing about potential new cast members signing on for Dune: Messiah, and it will hopefully be the first of a flood in the coming weeks as the filmmakers look at actors to play vital roles in the movie (let's not forget that Anya Taylor-Joy has locked up the role of Paul's younger sister Alia following her surprise appearance in Dune: Part Two... but how the whole age thing works there is still unclear). We will also hopefully be hearing news soon about Jason Momoa officially signing on, as a being called a ghola modeled after Duncan Idaho plays an important role in the story.

Be on the lookout here on CinemaBlend in the weeks and months ahead as we learn more about Dune: Messiah, and if you're now feeling a hunger two watch the blockbuster's two Oscar-nominated predecessors, both are available to stream with a Max subscription.

Despite only coming out recently, Denis Villeneuve's Dune movies are already considered some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. The second film picked up a number of Oscar nominations, although Villeneuve was noticeably snubbed for Best Director. The acclaimed filmmaker recently explained the reason he was convinced to work on the threequel Dune: Messiah so soon, and it makes sense.

While he was originally going to take a break from Arrakis, Villeneuve admitted he's already begun writing Dune 3. The first two movies (which are streaming with a Max subscription) were universally acclaimed, and Dune 2's ending set up what'll come next with Messiah. As the Arrival director told Collider, it was audience reactions to the bleak ending that inspired him to dive back in. As he put it:

Honestly, this sounds pretty convincing. The Dune 2 ending saw Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides seemingly abandon his principals in search of power. He embraced the idea of being Lisan al Gaib, and stages a coup to marry Florence Pugh's Princess Irulan. Through it all Zendaya's character Chani looks on in disappointment and digust, before eventually departing on a Sandworm.

This was a pretty wild cliffhanger for those new to Frank Herbert's universe, and it sounds like Denis Villeneuve has heard fan calls for another movie sooner rather than later. And that inspired him to begin writing the screenplay for Dune: Messiah so shortly after his first sequel hit theaters last year.

Narratively, there are a number of major threads to pull from for the forthcoming threequel in the Dune franchise. There's obviously the prophesy surrounding Paul, and the destruction he's meant to bring in his place of power. We were also introduced to Anya Taylor-Joy's Alia Atreides, who appeared to her brother from within the womb. She'll presumably be a major character in Messiah, and it should be interesting to see how that changes the family dynamic with Lady Jessica.

Unfortunately, the exact timeline for when to expect Dune: Messiah remains unclear for now. Denis Villeneuve is still writing the threequel, so we shouldn't hold our breath for it to miraculously show up on the 2025 movie release dates. But hopefully his excitement means the project is coming together sooner rather than later.

Denis Villeneuve's pair of Dune movies (which are streaming with a Max subscription) are already being considered some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. The pair of films is wildly popular, and fans are eager for a third movie following Dune Part Two's ending. While the filmmaker originally intended to do have a break, his latest comments about Messiah make it seem like it’s coming sooner than expected, with him saying outright "I still want to go back to Arrakis."

Back in October it was revealed that Denis Villeneuve started writing Dune Messiah, to the delight of fans like myself. Frank Herbert's book of the same name is set years after Paul Atreides takes power, and shows how it's corrupted him. While speaking with The Wrap about his career, the filmmaker spoke about his excitement over the threequel, offering:

Do you hear that sound? Its various Dune fans cheering. Because while it's going to be tough waiting for Messiah to finally hit theaters, Villeneuve made it clear that he's ready to return to Arrakis for a third installment. Hopefully that means that we get the blockbuster sooner than originally anticipated.

Filming the first two Dune movies was a huge job for Denis Villeneuve, especially given the dessert locations necessary to bring Arrakis exteriors to life. So it would have been understandable if he wanted to pivot to a smaller production following the wildly successful release of Part Two. But it sounds like he's already missing the sci-fi world of Frank Herbert.

Narratively, there plenty of threads to pull from for the next story. Dune 2's ending saw Paul Atreides ascend to the role of Lisan al Gaib. Chani is seen leaving in disappointed, and it seems like his prophesied dreams of disaster might be coming. Fans were also introduced to Anya Taylor-Joy's Alia Atreides while she was still in the womb.

The first two Dune movies are streaming now on Max. While we wait for news about Messiah, check the 2025 movie release dates.

With the Golden Globes having taken place last night awards season is now in full siwngand while Dune: Part Two didn’t take home any trophies at the 2025 Golden Globes, it’s still considered one of the best movies of the year. I hope to see Dune Part Two do well at the 2025 Oscars, but it seems I might care about it more than director Denis Villeneuve does.

In our list of the best movies of 2024 CinemaBlend ranked Dune Part Two at number three, and I called it one of the best science fiction movies of 2024 as well. While Villeneuve seems quite happy to receive such accolades, and tells our sister side GamesRadar that he considers it the “highest complement” to be in the Oscar conversation, he doesn’t seem particularly concerned with actual nominations or awards. The director said…

The director makes it clear that he is proud of Dune: Part Two and of the people who helped make it happen, and that won’t change, regardless of the awards situation. He calls out the Dune 2 cast, specifically for what they brought to the film. He credits their commitment to the story for a lot of what makes the movie great. Villeneuve conitnued…

The first Dune movie won several Oscars, making a near sweep of the technical categories taking home six Academy Awards. It could very easily win many of those awards again. Although one award it won last time, Best Original Score, it will not be eligible for this time around, since much of the music Dune : Part two originally appeared in Part One.

Josh Brolin has famously threatened to quit acting if Denis Villeneuve isn’t nominated for Best Director. If he is it will be certainly be a special achievement for the man, but it seems he would be just as happy if the other people who made his movie were recognized. He continued…

I certainly think thee are a few Oscars that Dune: Part Two should win, but it seems that Denis Villeneuve knows that his movie is good, and anything more than that is just icing on the cake.

One of the most jaw-dropping finales among 2024 movie releases was the ending of Dune: Part Two. While it saw Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides becoming the “chosen one” in the eyes of many, he completely betrayed Zendaya’s Chani in the process. While one might have expected the final shot of the massive sequel to conclude on Paul, director Denis Villeneuve decided to leave audiences with Chani’s anger in its final shot. The filmmaker recently shared why, and it has me emotional over the movie’s events all over again.

When the Canadian director spoke to our sister site GamesRadar+, he shared some more insights into why he chose to make Chani central to the final moment of Dune: Part Two. Apparently, it had to do with something that Frank Herbert felt in the aftermath of his original 1965 novel's release. In his words:

As fans of Frank Herbert's book may have noticed, there are some liberties taken with the ending of the Dune sequel. Yet those alterations help strengthen the character of Chani and better communicate the messages of the book that many readers initially misinterpreted when the text was released decades ago. Villeneuve also said this:

Dune: Part Two ends on the very shot at the top of this article. It allows the audience to feel the flood of emotions Chani feels after Paul defeats Feyd-Rautha and assumes his title as the Lisan al Gaib, who begins the apocalyptic holy war he initially feared from his visions. While everyone bows to Paul in the moment that King Shaddam surrenders, Chani is the only one left standing and refusing to do so. After that, the young Fremen warrior goes her own way, getting ready to depart on a sandworm alone as a mixture of sadness, fear and anger run over her face. I'm getting chills just thinking about it.

When CinemaBlend spoke to Florence Pugh and Zendaya about the ending earlier this year, they shared that they were totally “Team Chani." Denis Villeneuve’s expansion of Chani’s storyline was the perfect way to end of the second movie and underline Frank Herbert’s messages from the first book. The film's conclusion is truly devastating, and the filmmaker's comments are making me feel those emotions again. Nevertheless, I love that he put so much thought into the conclusion.

As for the rest of the story, Denis Villeneuve is currently writing the third Dune movie based on Messiah, which will be set 12 years after the events of its predecessor, which is in line with the books. The director has spoken about how Chani is inspiring the third movie. He didn’t get into specifics but he apparently knows “exactly what to do” and is “very excited” about what’s next for the character. Until then, we're left with that lasting image of the character's anger and disgust.

You can check out Dune: Part Two right now with a Max subscription and see where it lands amongst CinemaBlend’s best movies of 2024.

In the last decade, Denis Villeneuve has helmed Arrival, Blade Runner 2049 and the Dune adaptations, which rank as some of the best sci-fi movies ever. The director’s not distancing himself from the genre anytime soon, and he’s turned his attention to a feature version of Dune: Messiah next. However, if you’re someone who’s been hoping that Villeneuve will also sign on to direct one of the upcoming Star Wars movies, sorry, it’s not going to happen.

During his conversation with Matthew Belloni on The Town podcast, Denis Villeneuve admitted that he was the “target audience” for Star Wars: A New Hope when it came out in 1977 because he was 10 years old at the time, and added that The Empire Strikes Back was “the movie that I anticipated the most in my life.” However, his enthusiasm for a galaxy far, far away took a nosedive with the release of Return of the Jedi, with the filmmaker explaining:

So this isn’t even a matter of Denis Villeneuve not approving of the more recent Star Wars movies and the TV shows that are streaming with a Disney+ subscription. He became disillusioned with this franchise over 40 years ago when he and his friend were disappointed by Return of the Jedi, with the Ewoks in particular being especially heinous offenders. So while other directors would jump at the chance to leave their stamp on the cinematic side of the Star Wars franchise, Villeneuve is content with never exploring that world.

Fortunately for Star Wars fans, there’s no shortage of movies that are in the franchise’s creative pipeline, although so far only one has an official release date, with The Mandalorian & Grogu coming out in May 2026. Among the undated movies include the Rey movie being directed by Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy, Dave Filoni’s New Republic era movie, and James Mangold’s movie about the dawn of the Jedi and the origins of the Force. It was also recently reported that Simon Kinberg is developing a new trilogy of Star Wars movies that will be set after The Rise of Skywalker.

As for Denis Villeneuve, his latest movie, Dune: Part Two, can be streamed now with a Max subscription alongside its predecessor and the new series Dune: Prophecy. Last month, the director said he was in the middle of writing Dune: Messiah, and it’s looking like that will be the the “event film” he has lined up for December 18, 2026.

Dune: Prophecy has landed on the 2024 TV schedule and will continue to weave its tale of History versus Prophecy into the early frames of 2025. Following Denis Villeneuve’s impressive two-part adaptation of author Frank Herbert’s first installment, showrunner Alison Schapker has the wider picture that is the world of Dune firmly in mind. She spoke to how the show was influenced by both Timothée Chalamet-led motion pictures and mentioned some very specific factors that her team faced with both excitement and nerves.

The Specific Influences Dune: Prophecy Draws From Its Cinematic Predecessor

Considering it's connected to the legendary saga of the Bene Gesserit, House Atreides and House Harkonnen, Dune: Prophecy is a pretty huge step to take at the moment. The prequel is far removed from the portion of the timeline fans are familiar with and, as Ms. Schapker, spoke with ComicBook.com, she explained that the Blade Runner 2049 helmer’s vision helped shape the new HBO series:

With Prophecy’s invention of the intriguing Desmond Hart (Travis Fimmell), viewers have seen a great example of how this far-flung prequel, based on books written by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson, works in the existing framework. The visual continuity is nailed in from the ground up, while the narrative at hand is allowed to breath a bit more via six episodes of material.

That difference alone may have been what led to Dune: Prophecy’s critical reactions citing the difference in scope as either a positive or negative. But it definitely contributed to Alison Schapker’s feelings involving how the HBO original series is supposed to mesh up with Denis Villeneuve’s overall vision on both fronts.

How Following Denis Villeneuve’s Dune Affected Alison Schapker’s Dune: Prophecy

While there was a great deal of confidence on the part of both Schapker and her co-EP/fellow Westworld vet Jordan Goldberg, Prophecy still has the typical baggage one would expect with a prequel of this scope. Continuing to lay out how the Dune movies cast a formidable -- but vital -- shadow over this series, Schapker had this to add:

“Equal doses” of those reasonably present influences seem like a blessing in light of how big of a deal Dune and Dune: Part Two were when they hit theaters. With the powerful aesthetic and narrative choices that Denis Villeneuve and his team made firmly planted in the minds of the audience, Prophecy lives under the expectation of the six episode arc living up to the hype generated by its cinematic counterpart.

However, one must also consider that there’s also the advantage of being able to do so over an extended period of time. While we may not be seeing all out battles on Arrakis just yet, there's still time to work up to the conflicts that will lay the path for Lisan al-Gaib's terrifying reign.

Those of you with a Max subscription can judge for yourselves, as new episodes of Dune: Prophecy will be available at the same time they air on HBO. Sunday night at 9 PM ET is when the next chapters will continue to unfurl, so make sure you’re set to dive headlong into the distant future with enough time to prepare for the next workweek.

Quentin Tarantino is one of the most beloved film directors of our time, especially for Pulp Fiction (which recently turned 30). The filmmaker is also well known for having strong takes about popular movies lately, such as saying he’d never see more Toy Story movies after the third one and saying he “really, really liked” Joker 2. Tarantino also revealed recently that he’ll never watch Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies, and the director has now responded.

When Quentin Tarantino was on The Bret Easton Ellis Podcast last week, the filmmaker shared that he’d yet to see either Dune movies helmed by Villeneuve and wasn’t planning on it because he’d already seen David Lynch’s version from 1984. Tarantino said he “didn’t need to see any more spice worms” and in a broader sense is not interested in remakes. Here’s how Villeneuve reacted:

The Dune director, who has also made acclaimed films like Arrival, Sicario and Blade Runner 2049 was asked about Quentin Tarantino’s comments while speaking to film students at Concordia University in Montreal (via The Gazette). Villeneuve also said this:

Villeneuve was respectful toward Quentin Tarantino’s point of view, sharing that he agrees that he’s tired of recycling old ideas, but from his perspective, his Dune movies are not a remake of David Lynch’s Dune film. If Tarantino watched the three movies together, surely he would notice the stark differences between Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert’s material and Lynch's. But at the end of the day, Villeneuve doesn’t care what the fellow director thinks, probably because of all the love his versions of the story has provided to audiences and himself as an artist already.

Tarantino’s recent comments also had the director calling out Hulu’s Shōgun and Netflix’s Ripley for being remakes that he’s not interested in either. He shared his point further by saying he doesn’t care “how they do it” or, in Shōgun’s case “take me and put me in ancient Japan in a time machine,” because he’s already seen a version of the story told in one way he’s happy to skip them. Clearly Tarantino is a purist when it comes to original stories, and if he and Villeneuve ever meet, surely there’d be an interesting conversation to be had about their differing beliefs.

The most recent Dune movie, Dune: Part Two, is one of the most critically acclaimed movies of the year and one of its best crowd-pleasers. Even though it was released in March, it remains No. 4 of 2024's highest-grossing movies at $714 million in box office sales worldwide. Villenueve is currently writing Dune 3 following this success. Despite Quentin Tarantino’s thoughts on the Dune movies, the recent second film is still being hailed as one of the best 2024 movies so far.

While the Dune: Part 2 release date might feel far away, it remains one of the best 2024 movies that’s come out so far. As awards season soon begins, we expect to talk a lot about how the Frank Herbert adaptation will be part of the 2025 Academy Awards. While it’s already in discussion for categories like Best Picture, Best Director, Best Screenplay and a ton of technical categories, it’s unclear if Hans Zimmer’s music for the film will get a chance to be nominated for Best Score after it was pointed out that it may be ineligible. Following discussions about this, the movie’s director has shared his thoughts.

Hans Zimmer was one of the 2022 Academy Award winners for his score on the first Dune movie, but history may not repeat itself for Dune: Part 2. The sequel’s score may reportedly be denied from being recognized in the category due to the cues from the music pieces having too many repeated cues from the 2021 film to be eligible. (The Academy’s threshold is 20%). Even so, the score has been submitted by Warner Bros. for the category and Denis Villeneuve said the following about the issue:

While speaking to Variety, the Dune writer/director is still hopeful the score to his sequel could still be part of the Oscar race with his recent comments. Per the publication, we won’t know for sure whether the Academy is considering Hans Zimmer’s score until the Oscar shortlist voting period begins on December 9. From there, The Academy will release which 20 scores have been shortlisted for the award before it’s whittled down to the five official nominees.

While Villeneuve is holding out hope Hans Zimmer’s score will be nominated this year, Oscar odds resource Gold Derby has completely shut it out of the Best Score race in its current predictions. While it’s very early in the season, right now, Daniel Blumberg’s score for The Brutalist, Volker Bertelmann’s work on Conclave, Clément Ducol’s score for Emilia Perez, Kris Bowers’ The Wild Robot score and the energetic Trent Reznor/Atticus Ross score for Challengers lead the ranking, with movies like Gladiator II and Saturday Night also high on the list.

While Dune: Part 2 may be completely shut out of the Best Score race, it’s currently a frontrunner for Best Sound and Best Visual Effects. You can currently stream the movie with a Max subscription or rent/buy it. The next Academy Awards are set for Sunday, March 2, 2025.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune films are arguably some of the best sci-fi movies of all time. And given their wild success, fans have been eager for news about the third installment, Messiah. While it originally seemed like the acclaimed filmmaker would be taking a break from the property, he confirmed he's in the writing process. And he also confirmed when the upcoming blockbuster will be set.

While Villeneuve has been somewhat cryptic about Dune 3, he recently offered a much anticipated peek behind the curtain. While chatting with Deadline about the franchise, he confirmed he was in the "writing zone", and spoke about mirroring the novel Messiah for its film adaptation. In the Arrival filmmaker's words:

Honestly, sign me up. The ending of Dune: Part Two in many ways felt like a cliffhanger, where Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides ultimately chose the "dark side", proclaiming himself as the true Muad'Dib and beginning a prophesied holy war. As such, fans are eager to know what happens next, and how Zendaya's Chani reacts.

Rather than directly following upon the events of Dune: Part Two, the third movie will instead feature a time jump that's over ten years. We'll likely see the devastation that Paul's was has brought on the world, presumably he'll be a very different man than the one we followed throughout the first two movies.

After Anya Taylor-Joy's brief scene in Dune 2, fans are eager to see her character Alia aka Paul's little sister, in the flesh. Denis Villeneuve continue to cast Hollywood's biggest names in his franchise, including Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Austin Butler. The Dune: Part Two cast list was stacked, and one can only imagine who else might join the fun in Messiah.

To be clear, there's no release date for Dune: Messiah, and we will likely have to wait a few years before it finally arrives in theaters. Luckily, the universe continues to expand thanks to the upcoming Max series Dune: Prophecy. Set 10,000 years before the events of the first film, Prophecy will follow as the Bene Gesserit are formed and start to gain power. Fans assume the show's title will offer a connection to the prophecy that's been centered around Paul Atreides in the films. But we'll have to see how it all shakes out.

Dune: Prophecy will premiere November 17th on Max. For now, check the TV premiere list to plan your next binge watch.

There were high expectations surrounding Denis Villeneuve’s 2024 movie release Dune: Part Two. However, nobody set a higher standard for the sequel than Villenueve himself, whose love of the source material and perfectionism made his approach to the film intense. The result was a visual marvel, with many critics lauding the Dune sequel for taking the sci-fi genre to new heights. A standout sequences was when Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides rode a sandworm for the first time, and I'm now tired after hearing how that all came together.

Denis Villeneuve recently sat down with Ted Lasso’s Brett Goldstein for Screen Talk at the BFI London Film Festival. It was there that the Canadian filmmaker chatted about the biggest movies in his filmography as well as his career so far. Of course, he opened up about his latest film, Dune: Part Two, which became a box office hit. When asked about the much-discussed sandworm-riding sequence in the film, the director confessed that his perfectionism made the shoot a difficult one. He explained his approach, saying (via Variety):

Even with an accomplished cinematographer like Greig Fraser to reign in the director's ambitions (which may have led to him still working on the sequence today), the process was undeniably monumentous. The sequence took 44 days to film and required a separate film unit aptly called “the worm unit.” This is because the decision to use CGI for the sandworm mixed with natural light in a desert means that every shot had to be perfect and the environment had to be as controlled as possible.

Not many directors could pull off such a feat, but Denis Villeneuve was able to. Of course, he had help, with the worm unit proving to be incredibly invaluable. That crew of skilled artisans was led by Tanya Lapointe, who "perfectly understood" Villeneuve's vision. (She also happens to be married to the Arrival director.)

It can be hard to wrap one’s head around how lengthy a 44 day shoot for one sequence is. For context, many movies in their entirety take less than that to film. Also, considering the intense physicality involved when Timothée Chalamet is actually riding the sandworm with the dust flying up, I can imagine this was exhausting. The thought of all of this tedious work really is enough to make anyone tired with a mere thought of it. However, I probably speak for a lot of fans when I say that the effort is appreciated.

Despite the intensity of the show, I'd say it was all worth it. The sandworm scene is absolutely breathtaking, and the blend between digital and practical effects is seamless. Every shot is near perfect, and the time and diligence involved with making the whole thing cinematic and epic translates beautifully on film. The sandworm sequence is an unprecedented cinematic achievement and makes me excited for what else Denis Villeneuve has in store for audiences in the heavily-teased Dune: Messiah. Based on what he did with Part Two, I'd imagine Villeneuve will pull no punches with the next film.

Fans can stream Dune: Part Two now with a Max subscription. The Denis Villeneuve-helmed epic is returning to select theaters for special screenings this month, so make sure to check it out on the big screen if you missed its initial theatrical run.

Earlier this year, one of the bigger 2024 movie releases arrived in the form of Dune: Part Two, which followed just under a year and a half after Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune movie and adapted the second half of Frank Herbert’s original 1965 novel. But he’s isn’t done with this sci-fi property just yet, as the filmmaker is set to helm Dune 3, i.e. a film adaptation of Dune Messiah, the second installment in Herbert’s original book series. That said, Villeneuve has now explained why we shouldn’t view his Dune movies collectively as one trilogy.

Fresh off saying at he would be leaving the Toronto International Film Festival to continue working on the Dune 3 script, new comments from Denis Villeneuve on the upcoming movie have surfaced thanks to his interview with Vanity Fair. After it was pointed out that Dune: Part Two’s ending “left us wanting more,” the director was asked where he’s at in the process of adapting Dune Messiah, and he responded:

Although Dune and Dune: Part Two didn’t shoot back-to-back since it was unclear if the former would perform well enough to warrant Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary greenlighting the latter, from Villeneuve’s perspective, working on those two movies combined into one long creative process. Between that and them both covering the original Dune novel, whenever the filmmaker begins shooting Dune 3, it’ll feel like its own creative endeavor rather than an extension of what he did with his previous Dune movies. So while it’s obviously fine to call this saga a film series, he’d prefer it you don’t think of this trio of flicks as a trilogy.

Of course, Herbert went on to write four more Dune books after Messiah, and his son Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson have expanded this mythology through their own books. So there’s a good chance that this Dune film series could stretch past just three installments. If that happens though, Denis Villeneuve won’t be the one directing. As he explained:

The later Dune books definitely have a significantly different vibe to them compared to the one that started it all, though that’s not to say they still couldn’t be adapted effectively. Regardless, it’ll be up to another filmmaker to pull that off, although I do wonder if Denis Villeneuve might be willing to stick around as an executive producer. For now, fans of the two Dune movies he’s made so far should just be thankful he’s willing to have one last go-around with Dune 3.

Although the film adaptation of Dune Messiah doesn’t officially have a release date yet, there is a “Denis Villeneuve Event Film” slotted for December 18, 2026, so it’s easy enough to put two and two together there. Use your Max subscription to stream Dune and Dune: Part Two while waiting for more news on Dune 3.

Actress Jenna Ortega's star power has been steadily growing over the last few years, largely thanks to roles in projects like Scream and playing the title role in Wednesday (which is streaming with a Netflix subscription). While she's got plenty of great gigs on the small and silver screens, there are some that she did't book. Case in point: Ortega thinks she was up for Dune opposite Zendaya. But there's a very Hollywood reason she doesn’t know for sure.

Denis Villeneuve's Dune franchise (which is streaming with a Max subscription) has been wildly successful in theaters, with fans already asking about Dune 3. While promoting her role in Tim Burton's Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, Jenna Ortega told BuzzFeed about her audition for the sci-fi movie. In her words:

Well now I've got FOMO. Ortega consistently gives great performances, and I can only imagine what she would have brought to the table on Arrakis with Dune. Of course, the big question is what role she was auditioning for.

The Dune 2 cast list was led by Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, with the latter only having a few brief appearances as Chani in the first movie. The X actress thinks she auditioned for that role, but can't be sure. As she put it:

How very Hollywood. It sounds like this audition was top secret, with not even the actors knowing what role they were reading for. Jenna Ortega thinks she was up for Chani, but can't be sure. This feels reminiscent of Marvel's security, where they guard spoilers and use fake scripts to audition potential actors.

While Ortega seems like a perfect choice for Chani, perhaps she was also up for another role. Namely, that character's best friend Shishakli, who had a supporting role in Dune: Part Two. Although it's unclear if Denis Villeneuve was casting that role during the audition process for the original film.

Given how the Dune movies were filmed in the deserts of Jordan and The United Arab Emirates, as well as how long movies shoot, I have to wonder how Ortega's career might have been affected if she booked the sci-fi blockbuster. Would her schedule as Chani prevented her from filming other projects like Wednesday or Scream? It's unclear, but that's how the industry works.

Jenna Ortega can be seen in Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, which hits theaters on September 6th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates.

Well, we know that James Bond 26 (for lack of a better name at the moment) won't be released on the 2026 movie schedule. There has been frustratingly little detail to report on in recent months, but we got a pretty big update in May 2026, which we'll cover below. We still don't know a whole lot, but stick with us here. We're here to do our best to update everything we know about the future of the franchise, and specifically the next film, now that the Broccoli family has ceded control to Amazon after their billion-dollar deal to sell the rights to the character and the franchise. We'll start with what we definitely know and then get into some of the rumors.

Denis Villeneuve Will Direct James Bond 26

One big thing we definitely know is that the next James Bond movie will be helmed by director Denis Villeneuve. In June 2025, Amazon announced that the Canadian director will begin working on Bond 26 as soon as he wraps production on another sequel in a now-iconic franchise, Dune: Part Three. That movie officially wrapped filming in November, and dropped its first trailer in March 2026, though there is certainly a lot of post-production work that will go into the epic before its release date in December.

Having Villeneuve on board is a promising first step for the new era of James Bond films. He's a director who knows his way around a beloved literary hero, as he's shown with the Dune franchise, and he's worked on films with huge budgets. He's also just a fantastic director, with modern classics under his belt like Sicario, Blade Runner 2049, and Prisoners.

Bond 26 Will Be Written By Peaky Blinders Creator Steven Knight

Not only does Bond 26 have a heavyweight director, but it’ll be written by the creator of Peaky Blinders and House of Guinness, both of which you can watch now with a Netflix subscription, including the brand new Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man. It’s another comfort to know that the martini-loving Bond will have solid writing behind him, although some of the rumors point to an origin story, which, if I’m honest, I’m not super psyched about (more on that later). However, I will trust that Knight will get the story right, whatever it is.

As for what Knight is writing, we got a little, tiny peek into his thoughts when he told Variety in March 2026:

In a recent interview with ScreenDaily, Knight talked about what makes Bond so iconic, telling the outlet:

Knight also said that he felt like, because of that, he could re-invent the character, which leans more into the rumor that the next Bond film is an origin story, but more on that later.

Who Will Play James Bond? How About The Rest Of The Cast?

The number one question on fans’ minds is who will follow Daniel Craig as James Bond? To that, no one has any answers, but Amazon did announce in May 2026 that casting for the film is underway. They didn't elaborate on that, of course, and there have been a ton of rumors as to who will be the next super spy in the series. Names like Aaron Taylor-Johnson, Henry Cavill, Idris Elba, Tom Hardy, and Timothée Chalamet are just a few that have been tossed around as possible successors to the Craig Era.

Some recent news seems to indicate that it could be a younger, unknown actor who takes on the role. According to one report at least, Villeneuve and Co. are looking to revamp absolutely everything. A new spy, a new era. According to other reports, Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore star Callum Turner is now a favorite candidate for the role, but as The Hollywood Reporter pointed out in January 2026, you can't trust a lot of these rumors, as most tend to be false.

It's worth noting that in May 2026, Turner still seems to be the most popular guess. In fact, as of this writing, Turner is the favorite on the prediction market Kalshi, though, at 39%, he's hardly a shoo-in, and in fact, that percentage is down from 50% in March when we last checked in. Casting a younger actor like Turner may point back to that rumor of an origin story.

Other rumors point to Jacob Elordi nabbing the role (18% on Kalshi, up three points from March). Elordi is riding high after his triumph as The Monster in the recent Netflix release, Frankenstein, and the sky is currently the limit for the Euphoria cast member.

As for the rest of the cast, like M, Moneypenny, Q, and even who the next “Bond Girl” could be, well, those are all questions that we’ll likely see answered after Bond is named, and it will probably be a few months before there is any news at all. Perhaps much longer, more on that below, as well. I'm hesitant to even speculate on that. Frankly, I'm of the opinion that all the rumors are just that, rumors, and I wouldn't be at all surprised if none of these rumors come true. That includes Sydney Sweeney as the next Bond Girl, which is a rumor gaining steam, too.

What Will Bond 26 Be About?

As I've stated, this could be an origin story. That has been a major rumor surrounding the film for a few months now, as I write this in January 2026. A lot of the casting rumors (which, again, should be taken with a grain of salt) have focused on actors in their 20s, which would make sense for a young James Bond, perhaps still in the Navy, before joining MI6.

While it's not what I want to see, as it's a character the world is very familiar with, it does make some sense. This is a new era of Bond in every way, from the producers on down, and so taking it back to the beginning seems natural. We did get the hint of an origin story in the first film of the Daniel Craig era, Casino Royale, but these rumors suggest it would go much further back than that film did.

I would much rather see an approach like James Gunn took with Superman in 2025. Superman, like Bond, isn't a character we need to be reintroduced to. However, I'll be so thrilled when Bond does return, and I trust the creative team, that I'll be fine whatever direction they take the next movie.

What Is Bond 26’s Release Date?

The final big question, and perhaps the biggest, is when will the movie hit the big screen? Villeneuve has wrapped shooting on the final installment of his Dune trilogy, which is scheduled to be released in December. How post-production will take on Dune: Part Three is anyone’s guess, but it’s safe to assume that the earliest Villeneuve might get started on Bond is at least a ways away at this point. Deadline has reported that production will likely start sometime in 2027.

What does that mean for the release date? Unfortunately for us Bond fans, it means sometime in 2028 is probably the earliest we’ll see the spy with a license to kill on the big screen again. That means it’ll officially be the longest delay between James Bond movies, as No Time To Die came out in 2021. That honor is currently held by the roughly six years between License to Kill and Goldeneye, as well as Spectre and No Time to Die.

So, it’s going to be a while, but there are still 25 previous Bond films to enjoy with a Prime subscription. James Bond 26 will be huge, so as we learn more, we’ll keep updating this with all the latest news.

As we enter the latter half of the year, Dune: Part Two still ranks as one of the biggest successes on the 2024 movies schedule. Its $711+ million worldwide haul makes it the second highest-grossing movie of the year (trailing only behind Inside Out 2), and the second half of this adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel received critical acclaim, including our own Eric Eisenberg giving it a perfect score in CinemaBlend Dune: Part Two review. So the chances of Dune Messiah being adapted look better than ever, and some information has come in indicating that Dune 3 may be happening sooner than expected, which I think is the right move.

Let’s get the official update out of the way first. In addition to dating the third Godzilla/Kong movie, i.e. the next theatrical installment in the MonsterVerse franchise, for March 26, 2027, Warner Bros. Pictures has also scheduled what’s being called a “Denis Villeneuve Event Film” for December 18, 2026. That’s the same day as Star Wars’ Rey movie arrives, which sees Daisy Ridley’s character forming a new Jedi Order 15 years after the events of The Rise of Skywalker. So right off the bat, moviegoers are in for one hell of an opening weekend battle ahead of Christmas 2026.

In case you’re not following along with news about Villeneuve regularly, back in early April, it was reported that the filmmaker was lined up to direct a film adaptation of the book Nuclear War: A Scenario for Legendary Entertainment, the same production company behind his Dune movies. It was also claimed that Villeneuve would work on Dune 3 before tackling Nuclear War, though last December, he said he “might make a detour” before working on his version of Dune Messiah.

Now there’s this December 18, 2026 date to consider, and it’s looking like this “Event Film” will indeed be Dune 3. THR heard from its sources that Denis Villeneuve may have had “a change of heart” and decided to return to Arrakis first rather than shift gears to Nuclear War: A Scenario. Deadline said in its writeup that while there’s still work on the script being done and cast members being locked down, Dune 3 is the project Villeneuve’s been working on.

While it would be nice to have official confirmation from Warner Bros. and Legendary about this, assuming this is accurate, I think it’s wise for Villeneuve to work on Dune 3 next. I can understand why he would want to take a break from this mythology after he went directly from Dune to Dune: Part Two, but considering how well both movies have been received, it makes sense for him to knock out the Dune Messiah adaptation next. He’s already said that he would be his final Dune outing, so why not complete his trilogy while he still has characters like Paul Atreides and Chain fresh on the mind?

Whether this 2026 movie is Dune 3, Nuclear War: A Scenario or perhaps something else, at least Denis Villeneuve fans have something to look forward to from him in roughly two and a half years. If you’d like to stream his Dune movies, make sure you have a Max subscription.

Movie marketing is a tricky thing, as studios sometimes go to strange lengths to get the public excited for upcoming movies... going viral in the process. Case in point: Dune 2's popcorn buckets, which many thought looked like a sex toy. They were memed so much that they got their own digital short on SNL, and Kevin Feige promised Deadpool 3's bucket will be purposefully lewd. And now Dune director Denis Villeneuve has responded to Deadpool's wild popcorn buckets, being quoted saying "they are tremendously jealous". Let's break it all down.

What we know about Deadpool & Wolverine is limited, but the marketing campaign has been full of hilarious details. Deadpool 3's bucket purposefully looks like a sex toy, with fans shoving their hands in Wolverine's mouth to get each hand full of popcorn. Villeneuve spoke to ETalk, where he joked about the upcoming Marvel movie competing with his sci-fi series. In his words:

Now that's some fun, old-fashioned smack talk. While Dune and Deadpool aren't actually competing at the box office, that hasn't stopped the two movies from being compared to each other in relation to their popcorn bucket. And both are twisted for different reasons. 

While the Dune franchise (which is streaming with a Max subscription) is super serious, the Deadpool movies are decidedly lighter. The first two movies had non-stop jokes, often breaking the wall and poking fun at the superhero genre in the process. And that's exactly why Ryan Reynolds' franchise had to poke fun at the Dune popcorn bucket that went so viral. 

While fans are wondering if/when Dune Messiah will be officially green lit, all eyes are on what's coming when Deadpool & Wolverine finally arrives in theaters in July. Fans are eager to see Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds' faux feud play out on the big screen, and the Deadpool 3 trailers have definitely teased how electric their chemistry will be in the blockbuster. And it seems like just about anything could happen throughout the movie's mysterious runtime.

Much of the chatter surrounding the threequel is debate about who might end up appearing as part of Deadpool & Wolverine's cast list. Fans have been tossing around a number of rumored names, many of whom come from Fox's X-Men franchise. Some of these names include Halle Berry's Storm, Patrick Stewart's Professor X, Famke Janssen's Jean Grey, and Jennifer Garner's Elektra. There was also chatter about Taylor Swfit's possible role as either Dazzler or Lady Deadpool.

All will be revealed when Deadpool & Wolverine hits theaters on July 26th. For now, check the 2025 movie release dates. 

It's been two months since Dune Part 2 took the box office by storm. The film has grossed $711 million worldwide, and still remains the number one movie of the year. While many would consider this a sizable accomplishment for director Denis Villeneuve and the Dune 2 team, the filmmaker recently expressed disappointment at Dune’s ability to hold the leading spot, and what it means for the worldwide box office as a whole. 

The Disappointing 2024 Box Office Returns (So Far)

According to a recent report by Deadline, the box office this year is down 66% domestically from the box office totals last year. Expected big blockbuster hits like Mad Max: Furiosa and The Fall Guy ended up not soaring to the expected heights, falling short of predictions. Furiosa barely edged out The Garfield Movie in its opening weekend, with each opening at $25 million and $24 million, respectively. The memorial day weekend showing was incredibly disappointing, and it doesn’t look to be improving much for weekend number 2. Nothing has yet come close to catching Dune: Part 2’s $711 million gross, as Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire trails in second place at $567M.

The reasoning for low box office turnout could be a number of factors. The 2023 Writers Strike and Actors Strike severely impacted the titles heading to the theaters in 2024, and many movie releases this year are relying on existing IP for turnout. Streaming continues to also be a force, with audiences opting to wait for home releases instead of attending movie theaters. As of recently, a movie has to feel like an event to attract an audience at the cinema, and it seems this year only Dune Part 2 has obtained that hype, at least at the time of this writing. 

Denis Villeneuve's Thoughts On Dune Part 2 Remaining No. 1

Denis Villenueve commented on his feelings towards Dune Part 2 continuing to reign financially in 2024, and while he was grateful that Dune Part 2 received the love that it did, he wasn’t happy for what that meant for theatrical releases in general. While being honored at the 2024 Canadian Screen Awards, he said (via Deadline):

While the summer box office has less than ideal so far, all hope should not be lost. Deadpool and Wolverine is expected to perform very well, considering it will be the only MCU film released this year, and the immense fan base surrounding the Deadpool character. Twisters, Inside Out 2, A Quiet Place: Day One, and Alien: Romulus will also be vying for box office success this summer and hopefully will win over the public. 

Whether or not Dune 2 will remain number one throughout the year is questionable, but it seems like Villeneuve is rooting to be overtaken. He expressed the importance of box office turnout for the continuation of the theatrical experience, saying: 

Even with box office being low, Villenueve acknowledging Civil War’s success is significant. The Alex Garland-directed film has been a steady box office presence throughout its theatrical run, grossing $113 million worldwide against a $50 million budget. This is an accomplishment for the mid-budget film, and broke records for A24. 2024 might not be the year of the blockbuster, but it could be a time for mid budget theatrical experiences. On the other hand, one can not deny Dune Part 2’s sheer dominance, bringing into question which franchises remain profitable for studios.

Dune Part 2 is currently available to stream for Max subscribers. There are also many more exciting projects heading to the cinemas this year, so make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule for more information. 

Dune: Part Two's Costume Designer Jacqueline West and Set Designer Patrice Vermette join us to discuss their collaboration with Denis Villeneuve for their return to the world of Arrakis. We get into the types of conversations they have with each other and their director when crafting their respective visual elements for the film including the "big fiasco" caused when shooting Dune: Part Two's gladiator scene on Giedi Prime in infrared. 

Stay tuned, Friday brings another great interview!

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Every few years a science-fiction franchise is brought to theaters, and becomes wildly popular with moviegoers. Denis Villeneuve's Dune is definitely in that category, and is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. After the ending of Dune 2 and its wild success in theaters, fans are already wondering about a third movie, based off the novel Messiah. And the filmmaker recently explained how Zendaya's character Chani is influencing the threequel.

The cast of Dune 2 was seriously stacked, thanks to A-list talent like Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, and (of course) Zendaya. The latter played Chani, the Fremen love interest of Paul Atreides. She, along with the audience, was disappointed when Timothée Chalamet's character declared himself Lisan al Gaib and became engaged to Florence Pugh's Princess Irulan. In a conversation with the NY Times, Villeneuve explained how Zendaya's performance is impacting the future of the franchise, sharing:

Well, that's intriguing. It sounds like while Denis Villeneuve always wanted Dune 3 to happen, his approach may be influenced by what actors like Zendaya brought to the previous two installments. As a reminder, you can re-watch the 2021 movie with a Max subscription. 

While Villeneuve clearly is hyped about his upcoming sci-fi movie, it's currently a mystery as to exactly when work on Dune 3 will start. Technically Warner Bros. hasn't officially greenlit the project, but it feels inevitable after Dune 2's box office success. The studio did the same thing before announcing the Part Two, so it seems like only a matter of time.

While Timothée Chalamet plays protagonist Paul in the Dune franchise, the ending of Part Two made it clear that he's no hero. After being accepted by the Fremen he ended up leveraging their belief that he's the Lisan al Gaib in order to get revenge on House Harkonnen. Despite what he said to Chani, as well as his visions of a religious war, he ended up abandoning his principles to take on the most power possible. And he'll seemingly be the cause for massive death and destruction. 

From the sounds of it, Dune 3, or Dune Messiah as it may be titled, will reveal what atrocities come to life as a result of Paul's decision to put power and vengeance above his morals. And I'm eager to see if he and Chani end up on opposing forces as a result of his betrayal.

Dune: Part Two can be rented or purchased for home viewing now. Check out the 2024 movie release dates to plan your next movie experience. 

Denis Villeneuve's Dune is considered one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, and can be streamed with a Max subscription. The sequel was also wildly successful when it arrived in theaters in March. Dune: Part Two destroyed at the box office, while also going viral for moments like the viral popcorn bucket. The movie has been fodder for a ton of content on social media, and Villeneuve recently reacted to Javier Bardem being turned into memes.

In the Dune franchise, Bardem plays Stilgar who is the leader of a Fremen tribe. Stilgar is also fierce in his religious beliefs, and thinks that Timothée Chalamet's Paul Atreides is the messiah Lisan al Gaib. Bardem's reaction shots from the film have been memed countless times, thanks to how big his facial expressions are. It turns out that Denis Villeneuve has seen the content coming to socials, telling The New York Times:

There you have it. Sounds like Villeneuve doesn't mind the memes that Dune 2 inspired, as he's happy how Javier Bardem's character was portrayed in the blockbuster. Plus, memes have a way to further immortalize popular TV shows and movies.

Bardem and the rest of the Dune: Part Two cast all crushed it in their roles, and continued the thrilling take of Paul Atreides. And since both movies were so popular, fans are wondering if Dune 3 aka Dune Messiah might be coming down the line soon. I that project ends up being green lit, Javier Bardem's Stilgar will presumably return. 

While Denis Villeneuve has gone on the record saying Dune 3 needs to happen eventually, the exact timeline of when this might occur is a mystery to the general public. That being said, it seems like an inevitability given how much money the last two movies made for Warner Bros.. And the ending of Dune: Part Two definitely seemed to set up a future project, as Paul claims himself the Lisan al Gaib and betrayed Chani to marry Princess Irulan. Fans also want to see Anya Taylor-Joy's surprise character get more fleshed out. 

Dune 2 is available to rent digitally, and the original movie is on Max. While we wait fo information about a threequel, check out the 2024 movie release dates. 

In 2015, Denis Villeneuve brought Taylor Sheridan’s script for Sicario to life with Benicio del Toro, Josh Brolin and Emily Blunt leading the cast. Talk about a dream team. Then, in 2018, Sicario: Day of the Soldado came out. Since then, fans have been wondering if there will be a third installment in this series of movies about a task force battling the war on drugs at the U.S.-Mexico border. Well, we’re here to provide as much of an answer as we can. 

The short answer to this question about Sicario 3 is: sort of. However, the realistic one is that while there’s a want for it and talk about it happening, there’s no confirmation that it’s taking solid steps forward yet. So, with that in mind, let’s break down what we know about this potential film. 

Sicario Producers Want Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt And Benicio Del Toro To Star

If Sicario 3 happens, it’d be nice to see the main trio of Josh Brolin, Emily Blunt and Benicio del Toro back in action. According to producer Trent Luckinbill, that’s the goal, as he told Collider in October 2023:

So, with the objective to get the on-screen band back together, the questions start to circle around if the actors would be willing and available as well as if the top-tier behind-the-scenes crew wants to come back, too. 

Denis Villeneuve Has Nothing To Do With Sicario 3

In the years following the release of Sicario, Denis Villeneuve’s body of work has only grown more impressive, specifically through the releases of 2016's Arrival, 2017's Blade Runner 2049 and the wildly popular and critically acclaimed Dune films that came out in 2021 and 2024. That, mixed with the fact that he has two movies in the works, including Dune 3 and he didn’t direct Sicario: Day of the Soldado, Stefano Sollima did, makes it seem obvious that he won’t be back to helm a third film. 

He confirmed his lack of knowledge about Sicario 3 while speaking with The Playlist in February 2024:

He continued to explain that he was out of the loop on this topic. However, he reiterated that he’ll be excited to see the film, especially if the screenwriter is involved:

Well, lucky for Denis Villeneuve and us, Taylor Sheridan is reportedly attached to the project. However, unlucky for us, it’s unknown if he’ll be penning it. 

Sicario Producers Said Taylor Sheridan And Christopher McQuarrie Are Involved

While the evergrowing list of upcoming Yellowstone shows might have you wondering if Taylor Sheridan has time to write another Sicario movie, producers have explained that the OG screenwriter will be involved with a third film. Along with Sheridan, producer Molly Smith explained that Christopher McQuarrie – the director, writer and producer behind Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation, Fall Out and Dead Reckoning – is involved too, telling Collider:

Now, while this is thrilling news, it’s important to consider just how busy both these men are, specifically Sheridan. Putting all this in perspective, Sicario producer Trent Luckinbill told the same outlet:

It sounds like many folks who have worked on Sicario want a third film to happen, and like these producers, some of the cast, specifically Josh Brolin, are in the same boat. 

Josh Brolin Wants Sicario 3 To Happen 

Between playing Thanos in the MCU and Gurney in the incredibly well-reviewed Dune films, as well as leading the series Outer Range over on Amazon Prime, Josh Brolin has been booked and busy since Sicario's release. However, there’s also still no question that this project is one of Brolin’s best films, and he really wants to return as Matt Graver. Speaking with THR in May 2022 about the possibility of Sicario 3 and whether fans should give up on the film ever getting made, the actor explained:

Considering how all the careers of so many involved with the first Sicario have skyrocketed, I’d imagine getting the troops together for a third film is incredibly hard. However, Brolin clearly has hope that it can happen. That should make fans excited, but Emily Blunt’s thoughts on the possible film will likely even out your feelings. 

However, Emily Blunt Hasn’t Heard Anything About Sicario 3

Emily Blunt, who wasn’t in Sicario 2, put it bluntly on Happy, Sad, Confused in February 2024 when explaining what she knew about a possible threequel. While Brolin has seemingly talked a lot about it, the Oppenheimer actress hasn’t “seen anything,” she explained:

Back when Day of the Soldado was in the works, Taylor Sheridan did tell The Wrap that Blunt’s FBI agent Kate Macer’s story was complete. So, because she wasn’t involved in the sequel – even if it makes sense for the character to come back for a third film – it seems unlikely that she’d come back. 

While it seems like Sicario 3 would be a shoo-in for one of Emily Blunt’s best movies considering the success of the first film and the love for her character, according to her, she hasn’t heard anything about it. 

Overall, the discourse surrounding Sicario 3 is all over the place. While it’s 100% still in the developmental stages, it seems like many on the creative team want to make it happen. However, considering the schedules of the stars, writer and OG director, it looks like we’ll be waiting for quite some time before we find out who is officially writing, directing and starring in the project. 

We’ll be sure to keep you up to date on all things Sicario 3, in the meantime, you can stream Sicario with an Amazon Prime subscription and Sicario: Day of the Soldado with a Hulu subscription. 

This has been an incredible year for filmmaker Denis Villeneuve, a director already held in high regard. His blockbuster sci-fi sequel Dune: Part 2 opened to incredible reviews (we gave it a perfect 5 stars) and stellar box office around the globe. It cemented the audiences’ interest in Villeneuve’s interpretation of Frank Herbert’s seminal novel, and it immediately generated conversation about whether or not the director and his cast would reunite for Dune 3 (or Dune: Messiah) to conclude a trilogy. News just broke that Dune 3 is in development at Legendary, but based on Villeneuve’s comments, I think fans need to brace for a wait.

Lots of people covering the Dune 3 news pointed to a Deadline report that Legendary had optioned Annie Jacobsen’s Nuclear War, and stated that the adaptation would be “another giant project after he completes Dune: Messiah.” It was at that point that Deadline noted the Dune sequel was in development. Which is great, but also, no duh. Legendary likes money, and the two Dune movies combined have earned north of $1 billion in global tickets sold. If you can get Denis Villeneuve to return for Dune: Messiah – and bring his A-list all-star cast with him – you make that deal.

Just, don’t expect Denis Villeneuve to dive right back into the world of Dune to conclude his trilogy as soon as possible. There’s a famous analogy that goes something like this: “Asking a director what movie they’re going to make next is a lot like asking a woman who has just delivered a child when they plan to get pregnant again.” Every filmmaker needs a break, especially one who commits to filming in desert conditions to make the sci-fi world of Arrakis feel as practical as possible.

During his appearance on CinemaBlend’s official ReelBlend podcast, Villeneuve reveals why it was important for him to sustain momentum and film the first two Dune movies back to back. But he admitted it was draining, and he needed to rely on his cast to keep him going. Villeneuve told ReelBlend:

He did not sound like a man who was ready to head back into the world of Frank Herbert. When you also include quotes that Denis Villeneuve gave to South Korean press (via Variety) in December, the idea of Dune 3 happening soon seemed far-fetched. He said:

That’s my guess. In order to keep things fresh, Denis Villeneuve will try and shoot something non-Dune before concluding his trilogy with Dune 3. It’s worth noting that author Frank Herbert set Dune: Messiah 12 years after the events of Dune, so some have been discussing the need for Timothee Chalamet, Florence Pugh, and the main cast members to age up and fit the story. Not to say Villeneuve will wait 12 years…. but some time gap could only benefit the film.

Finally, Villeneuve also spoke on ReelBlend about being able to commit to Dune 3 if he knew it was his last trip into the Herbert universe. He told us:

Listen to our full interview with Denis Villeneuve on behalf of Dune: Part 2.

And make sure to stay up to date on all of the upcoming 2024 movies reaching theaters so you know what to see, and when to see it.

Denis Villeneuve is on a hell of a run right now, and has been for some time. While Dune: Part Two is cleaning up as one of the earliest blockbusters from the 2024 movie schedule, the man’s been on a creative hot streak that, depending on who you talk to, spans his entire career. Now Villeneuve and studio Legendary Entertainment seem to have found their first post-Dune movie together, with a concept that both absolutely horrifies and intrigues me at the same time.

Legendary Has Acquired The Rights To Nuclear War: A Scenario

Per an announcement made through Deadline, Legendary has optioned the recent New York Times bestseller Nuclear War: A Scenario. Though the book was only released last Friday, “a deal worth $500,000 against $1.5 million” has been made for Legendary to acquire the rights. Part of the synopsis for the book is as follows:

Dune fans need not worry, as further reporting in that announcement states that the expectation is for Denis Villeneuve to potentially re-team with the production company to work on Nuclear War: A Scenario once Dune: Messiah is done and dusted. So that right there suggests that Villeneuve's worries about Dune 3 may have been quelled, as that seems to be his next priority.

That hopefully means that the Prisoners director will also adapt and direct Nuclear War as he has with Frank Herbert's sci-fi masterpiece. Should that be the case, I'm definitely excited and scared to see what this movie could be in the hands of a master such as this.

Why Denis Villeneuve’s Nuclear War Intrigues And Horrifies Me

The big reason I feel both intrigued and horrified to see Denis Villeneuve tackle Nuclear War is because of his skills as a creative talent. Whether it’s turning Dune into two of the best sci-fi movies ever, or tackling darker, more realism-based pictures like Prisoners or Sicario, Mr. Villeneuve is always in the pocket. Intrigue wise, I can’t wait to see how, and if, Denis’ touch brings this urgent tome to life.

And now we turn to the part of me that’s horrified, as Nuclear War’s scenario touches upon one of my deepest fears. If you were like me and sat chilled at the ending to Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, that feeling could quite possibly be the entire tone of Denis Villeneuve’s take on this decades-old fear of modern life.

Imagine, if you will, an entire movie that takes the subject of potential mutually assured destruction, but portrays it with the level of intensity seen in a film like Prisoners. More specifically, try to think of the moments Denis Villeneuve could come up with that could play out as spiritual successors to that intense interrogation scene between Hugh Jackman and Paul Dano:

And here I thought A24 was cornering the market on socio-political anxiety field trips, like the one we saw in the Civil War trailer. With Legendary Entertainment and Denis Villeneuve potentially reteaming to make Nuclear War into the next The Day After, I’m already primed to buy my tickets.

While we don’t know when, or if, this project will get off the ground, it’s actually comforting to know that Hollywood is interested in once again tackling this shared nightmare. In the tradition of Fail Safe, Threads and even to a certain extent Dr. Strangelove, we might just see another vital exercise in trying to make sure the nightmare of nuclear war doesn’t become a reality.

For now, we'll just have to wait for more information. But in the meantime, Denis Villeneuve's latest masterpiece Dune: Part Two is still showing in theaters.

Denis Villeneuve and Christopher Nolan are two of the biggest visionaries in cinema today. Both directors are known for their high-concept ideas and complex use of  filmmaking techniques to make the big-screen experience as spectacular as possible. The influence each other have had on each other's work is likely easy for fans of both directors to pick up on, and it turns out this mutual admiration goes back years. Actor David Dastmalchian recently revealed that Villeneuve gushed over Nolan while making Prisoners and, 10 years later, Nolan spoke the same way about Villeneuve while making Oppenheimer. 

David Dastmalchian has been a strong character actor for years and recently made his lead actor debut in the buzzy 2024 horror film, Late Night with the Devil. Over the years Dastmalchian has worked with a number of big-name directors and has become a go-to for both Christopher Nolan and Denis Villeneuve. He spoke to The Hollywood Reporter about collaborating with the directors on projects like Prisoners, Dune, and The Dark Knight. While doing so, he revealed both directors were very complimentary of each other behind the scenes. He said:

This is notable for many reasons. Not only does it show how the pair have had an admiration of each other that has spanned a decade, but it also speaks to their collaborations with David Dastmalchian as an actor shows this influence. 

The Marvel Cinematic Universe alum likely appeared on people’s radar after his role in The Dark Knight, where he plays a sinister accomplice to The Joker. He doesn’t say much, but his scared neuroticism speaks volumes to the stakes of the movie and what the villain is capable of. You can see this casting influence with his role in Prisoners, where he portrays a similar character driven crazy from another source of evil. I'd like to think that the Batman flick likely played a role in star earning his part in Prisoners. And, based on Christopher Nolan’s praise of Denis Villeneuve, it may have influenced him to work with the actor again on Oppenheimer.

This admiration expressed on these sets isn’t too surprising, as both directors have been vocal about their mutual respect for each other's work. Denis Villeneuve expressed his love for Tenet, one of Christopher Nolan's most recent works. The Canadian filmmaker also praised Nolan's Oppenheimer for boosting the theatrical experience and being a positive for the film industry. For his part, the British director has been equally complimentary towards Villeneuve, calling the use of CGI in Dune “seamless,” and recently referred to Part Two as a modern day Empire Strikes Back. This shared creative appreciation has evolved into a friendship between the filmmakers, as Villeneuve was even invited to a special screening of Nolan's historical drama before its official release.

Show business is a competitive industry, especially when you have so many monster talents that are making films within the same genre. However, the two directors we're discussing here have used their shared style to uplift each other as filmmakers, improving themselves as creatives through influencing each other. They've put out some impressive work, and I hope that they're mutual respect for each other continues to blossom. Also, let's hope they continue to give work to the impeccable David Dastmalchian.

Fans can check out Denis Villeneuve’s first film with David Dastmalchian, Prisoners, which is currently available to rent on Amazon. You can also see the actor in Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, which is streaming now for Peacock subscribers. For more information on other major films that have or will drop this year, like Dune: Part Two, make sure to consult our 2024 movie release schedule. 

Between his great movies like Jaws, Schindler’s List, Jurassic Park and so many more, Steven Spielberg is revered as one of the most iconic filmmakers of all time. So, when he takes time to praise another director, that's definitely something to take note of. As box office hit Dune: Part Two continues its impressive run, Spielberg gave its director, Denis Villeneuve, some huge compliments. Needless to say, the veteran moviemaker couldn't stop gushing over what was achieved within the movie… especially when it comes to those sandworms. 

Steven Spielberg recently interviewed Denis Villeneuve at a Directors Guild of America screening in Los Angeles. Here’s what he had to say about the Dune filmmaker, including the rare distinction that Spielberg bestowed up Villeneuve:

Frame that, Mr. Villeneuve! Getting any kind of compliment is an honor, but to be told such sentiments by Steven Spielberg is extremely special. During the Q&A that was moderated by the Raiders of the Lost Ark filmmaker, the legendary Hollywood even name-inducted Villeneuve among a select group of filmmakers across history that can be called “builders of worlds.” Having seen Villeneuve's work, I can't disagree with that declaration. Spielberg continued by saying this: 

Early in the conversation, Steven Spielberg complemented his peer by lauding Part Two as “such a desert-loving film” with “such a yearning for water.” He compared the gorgeous landscapes seen throughout the movie to the sea, before going on to say those sandworm sequences really blew him away. It's hard to disagree with him on that front, as the sandworm scenes are certainly enough to take one's breath away.

Since the highly anticipated sequel's release, it’s been called a “masterpiece” by critics, with CinemaBlend’s own Dune: Part Two review calling it “blockbuster perfection”. In addition to successfully bringing to life Frank Hebert’s science fiction vision and assembling an all-time great cast, Denis Villeneuve made the impossible possible in many ways through the way he shot the movie. For example, he insisted on shooting it in the actual desert and in natural lighting, which he revealed, while speaking to the ReelBlend podcast, “created a puzzle” for not only himself but the cast and crew as well.

It must mean so much to Denis Villeneuve to hear such praises from Steven Spielberg, who's known to show love to others. The 77-year-old legend is known to be vocal about the projects in Hollywood that matter to the industry, between him telling Tom Cruise he “saved Hollywood's ass” following Top Gun: Maverick’s release. Or when he gushed to Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki about the Oscar-winning monster movie. Such praise can be overwhelming for some, though I'm sure Villeneuve will take it all in stride.

The sandworm-filled Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters, and you can stream the first installment using a Max subscription now.

Dune: Part Two is out in theaters and the general consensus is that the sequel is even better than the multiple Oscar-winning first part. Our Dune: Part Two review was as glowing as any. With another solid success, it’s easy to assume that a third Dune movie, Dune: Messiah, which director Denis Villeneuve has stated he wants to make, will be his next project. However, the director says he would like to take some time away from Arakkis, so don’t expect another Dune movie in the short term.

Even before Dune: Part Two was done filming, director Denis Villeneuve had expressed interest in adapting the second novel Dune: Messiah into a third movie and completing the story of Paul Atraeides. While Frank Herbert wrote more Dune books after that, Messiah is the end of Paul’s story. Villeneuve recently spoke to Empire and while it’s clear he still very much wants to make that movie, there’s a lot of work that needs to be done first. And it sounds like the director would just like to take a break and doing something else for a bit. He explained…

While Dune: Part Two wasn’t officially given the green light until the release of Part One, Villeneuve says it made sense to jump right from Part One to Part Two. A lot of the work from the first part would easily translate to the second part so a lot of the work was done. It sounds like no work has been done on Messiah and the director doesn’t want to jump into the third project without a plan.

In the end, Villeneuve says he wants Dune: Messiah to be better than Dune: Part Two, and he’d rather not make it if that’s not the case. That’s certainly a pretty high bar considering how people feel about Dune: Part Two. But of course, it also makes a third film incredibly exciting.

At this point, we don’t even know for sure if we’ll get a third Dune movie. Even the director has admitted that a Dune: Messiah film would have issues, but if it does happen it won’t be on the same timetable as the last movie. While fans certainly don’t want to wait, one assumes that if waiting means getting a better movie they’ll be happy to do so. 

Rebecca Ferguson has become one of our favorite interview subjects—throughout her promo tour for the sci-fi blockbuster Dune: Part Two, the Swedish actress has offered up one hilarious soundbite after another. She recently revealed how having a Timothée Chalamet lookalike for a husband has made things very confusing in the Ferguson household and told CinemaBlend about how she and her co-stars came up with sexual names for all of the sci-fi objects in the Dune universe. 

But her appearance on the ReelBlend podcast might have just gifted us fans our favorite Ferguson moment yet. In the Dune 2 cast, Rebecca plays Lady Jessica, Paul Atreides' mother and the newly appointed Reverend Mother. As a member of the Bene Gesserit, a powerful sisterhood with advanced physical and mental abilities, Jessica is able to use a technique called "the Voice" to overpower and kill her enemies. 

While chatting with CinemaBlend Managing Director Sean O’Connell and Fox 5 DC Entertainment Reporter Kevin McCarthy, Ferguson hilariously discussed how she and director Denis Villeneuve came up with that ominous "Voice": 

However, because Rebecca Ferguson didn't know exactly how the "Voice" was mixed and produced, she decided to go straight to the source for intel. Yes, she did so by whipping out her cell phone mid-interview and texting Denis Villeneuve directly while casually chewing on a toothpick, much to the delight of our podcast hosts:

Alas, the actress didn't get a response from the French-Canadian filmmaker so we'll never know if Kathleen Turner does in fact have an uncredited Dune cameo as "the Voice" of Lady Jessica.  

Fans were similarly enthralled by Ferguson's funny, relaxed behavior during the podcast appearance, commenting on Instagram:

• "So chaotic vibe" - @joaovictorlima1997
• "She is quite kooky, and I had no idea! 😂" - @mysinghlove
• "Dude she's really divine" - @adamumemo
• "She is not what I expected her to be like and I love it" - @piz_zarinasbarro
• "Idk why but this is the second interview I've seen where she has a toothpick in her mouth and I love her for it 😂" - @king_obie617

Though Lady Jessica is far less humorous than her actress counterpart, you can catch Rebecca Ferguson as the Dune 2 matriarch in the critically acclaimed Denis Villeneuve flick in theaters now, or stream the first movie with a Max subscription.

SPOILER WARNING: The following article contains certain spoilers for Dune: Part Two. If you have not yet seen the film, proceed at your own risk!

Audiences were made well-aware going into Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two that the sci-fi blockbuster features a phenomenal ensemble cast. Not only are Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin and more back from the first movie, but newcomers include Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Lea Seydoux and Christopher Walken. It was designed as a star-studded cinematic experience… and yet, many were likely surprised by the appearance of Anya Taylor-Joy in sequences depicting visions of the future.

In Dune: Part Two, Anya Taylor-Joy plays Alia Atreides, the sister of Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and the daughter of Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica – and if you have questions, we totally understand. We understand so much, in fact, that we’ve put together this feature together to specifically try and clear up any and all confusion. From who she is to what we can expect to see from her in the future, this is everything you need to know about the very special and important Dune character.

Who Is Alia Atreides?

It is revealed around a third of the way through Frank Herbert’s Dune that Lady Jessica is pregnant with her second child sired by Duke Leto Atreides, and she keeps the child a secret between herself and Paul in the aftermath of the Harkonnen/Sardaukar attack on House Atreides. This proves to be a consequential decision when Jessica is requested to be the new Reverend Mother for the Fremen of Arrakis and told to connect with the full history of the Bene Gesserit by drinking the Water Of Life. Not only does Jessica acquire the memories of her predecessors in the sisterhood, but her unborn fetus acquires them as well.

When Alia is later born, she Freaks. People. Out. In Dune, she is a toddler with the intelligence and bearing of a fully grown adult, and thusly she is viewed by many as an abomination. Her youthful appearance results in people underestimating her remarkable intelligence – and nobody learns this lesson quite like Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. As part of their on-going war with the Fremen on Arrakis, the Harkonnens kidnap Alia thinking that it will give them an advantage, but it turns out to be a fateful mistake. Able to escape, she kills the Baron by stabbing him in the neck, and she only reveals herself as his granddaughter as his life slips away.

Alia Atreides’ Role In Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two Is Very Different Than Her Role In Frank Herbert’s Novel

Based on what I describe above, you can understand why filmmakers would have difficulty bringing the character to life in an adaptation. David Lynch took a swing with his 1984 movie casting child prodigy Alicia Witt, and young actress Laura Burton was cast for the SciFi Channel miniseries from 2000, but Denis Villeneuve and co-writer Jon Spaihts decided to go a different route with young Alia for Dune: Part Two. Because the blockbuster opts to not feature the time jump that is part of the source material, the film doesn’t have Jessica giving birth, and it instead features the mother having a psychic connection with her daughter while she is still in the womb.

Just because Alia isn’t born doesn’t mean that she doesn’t have an outsized impact on the film, however. She may not get kidnapped and kill Baron Harkonnen, but she has a strong influence over her mother, and it’s in tandem with Alia that Lady Jessica embarks on her evangelist mission convincing the Fremen that Paul Atreides is the messiah known as Lisan al Gaib. Tragically, it’s in following the path that Jessica and Alia lay out for him that leads Paul to instigate an intergalactic jihad that will result in the deaths of millions.

Never depicted as a hyper-intelligent toddler, Alia is represented in Dune: Part Two both as a fetus and as an adult played by Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga star Anya Taylor-Joy. Paul has a vision of her in a future where Arrakis is once again lush, and it is through talking with her that he discovers that Lady Jessica is the Baron’s daughter.

Dune: Part Two’s Co-Writer Explains Why The Movie Made Those Big Changes With Alia

Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two are exceptionally faithful adaptations of Frank Herbert’s novel, but there are some standout differences between the films and their source material. Alia not being born is a major one, but the reasons why she was omitted as a character post-womb are logical.

Jon Spaihs discussed the various changes between the films and the book in an interview with Inverse, and part of that conversation included the topic of Alia. As Spaihts puts it, he and Denis Villeneuve were unsure how the character would be received, and not wanting that particular weirdness to steal focus, the filmmakers instead opted for a different kind of weirdness. Said the screenwriter,

With the change in approach to Alia Atreides, the filmmakers got to have their cake and eat it too. The character is still an important part of the story and the audience perfectly registers the supernatural strangeness, and the production didn’t have to worry about casting a super smart child or trying something experimental with visual effects.

What To Expect From Alia Atreides In The Future

Circumstantially similar to Florence Pugh’s role as Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Two, the casting of Anya Taylor-Joy as an adult Alia Atreides is a move made by the production with an eye on the future. In addition to adapting Frank Herbert’s Dune as two movies, Denis Villeneuve’s vision for the franchise has always included a third film based on Dune’s first sequel, Dune: Messiah – and Alia has a key supporting role in that story.

Dune: Messiah is set a dozen years after Paul Atreides overthrew Shaddam Corrino IV and became the new Emperor, and Alia is one of the most trusted people in his life and a key advisor (she is also heavily tied into the plot, but that’s challenging to discuss without spoilers for those of you who haven’t read the book). It is admittedly a tad odd that Anya Taylor-Joy is only one year younger than Timothée Chalamet and they are playing siblings that are supposed to have a nearly two-decade gap in their ages, but the filmmakers will surely find a way to make it make sense (perhaps with makeup or visual effects, or with some kind of exposition about rapid aging due to her exposure to the Water of Life as a fetus).

Dune: Part Two is now playing in theaters everywhere. And while Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Messiah has not yet been given the official greenlight from Legendary Pictures, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend for any updates we hear about the project in the coming days, weeks, months, and years.