Denis Villeneuve on How Dune: Part Three Changes Everything

Director Denis Villeneuve has given us some amazing movies across multiple genres. Be it thrillers like Prisoners and Sicario or taking forward Ridley Scott's cyberpunk franchise with Blade Runner 2049. The director's vision, character-driven narratives, and distinct storytelling keep fans glued to their seats. Perhaps he is best known for his work in the sci-fi genre. After the success of the first Dune film, the director became a global sensation, with fans around the world waiting for the next installment.

For the longest time, Frank Herbert's Dune was thought unfilmable; as seen in past movies, most elements were too daunting to bring to the screen. But when Villeneuve came on board for the franchise opener Dune, things changed from the majestic worm ride, spice in the air, to the high-contrast Giedi Prime; every element of Herbert's imagination seamlessly translated on screen. With powerhouse performers like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Rebecca Ferguson, among others, the franchise has emerged as a fan favorite, and fans can't wait for the trilogy-capper coming out this December.

Dune: Part Three will collide with Avengers: Doomsday at the box office, and a double feature is on the charts. The previously released trailer showcased a slightly aged Paul (Chalamet) and a world post-war. "The idea was to try to make a movie that will have the same DNA — it's a Dune movie — but it's a very different movie," Villeneuve recently told Empire Magazine. "It has a different pacing."

'Dune: Part Three' Time Jump Explained

Dune starts with young Paul Atreides, who leaves his home planet for Arrakis when his father, Leto, gets a call from the Emperor to take over the spice trade on the new planet. Even before the Atreides can settle in their new home and take over the spice business, one night they are ambushed, and Paul's father is killed. Paul and his mother escape into the desert where they meet the Fremen. In Dune: Part Two, which follows Herbert's books closely, Paul learns the Fremen ways and soon rises as the Messiah, and a holy war begins in his name. The third feature is taking a time jump, and now we see the aftermath of the war. "We are back with the same characters, but this time the world has totally changed," says Villeneuve. "Their psyches, their perspective on reality has totally changed, and Paul is living with the burden of what he created, trying to find a way out of this spiral of violence."