An update about Dune 3 confirms that Warner Bros. has plans to expand the franchise into a cinematic universe just before the new prequel series begins. After the enormous critical and commercial success of 2024’s Dune 2, production on Dune 3 has been confirmed sooner than anyone expected. This will bring the events of Frank Herbert’s sequel novel, Dune Messiah, to life on the big screen, with much of the cast reprising their roles. With this book being adapted, questions have been raised about the franchise’s future.
The prequel series Dune: Prophecy will air on HBO in November 2024, showing the world 10,000 years before the events of the films. Given Warner Bros.’s recent desire to expand many of their marquee titles, such as DC or Harry Potter, into multimedia franchises, it’s no surprise that the world of Dune is being explored in television. The show is only the first step in continuing to expand the Dune universe, with more books by Frank Herbert and extensive lore material from Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson to dive into.
Dune 3 Setting Up Future Dune Movies Copies The Cinematic Universe Playbook
Dune 3 Will Set Up More Sequels, Even Without Denis Villeneuve There To Direct Them
Speaking about Dune 3 to Vanity Fair, Denis Villeneuve explains that he isn’t planning on remaining with the franchise forever. He’s already committed years of his career to Arrakis, and he’s laid the aesthetic and narrative foundation for more to follow. On what he intends to be his final contribution to the saga, Villeneuve intends to “make sure that, in Messiah, there are the seeds in the project if someone wants to do something else afterwards.“ So, even though Villeneuve wouldn’t be returning for Children of Dune or later books, he’ll be setting up room for them.
With prominent franchises like Marvel and Star Wars telling their long-form narratives through both film and television, it’s become increasingly common for major franchises to want to copy this formula. Having recognizable franchise titles is helpful enough in bringing viewers to theaters, but telling a grander, weaving story through multiple mediums is even more compelling. Dune 3 leaving threads open for more stories in the franchise shows that Warner Bros. intends to keep this saga going for as long as they can, and it will be interesting to see how it takes form with new stars and creatives in charge.
Dune’s Success Made A Cinematic Universe Inevitable
Dune Was An Enormous Cultural & Commercial Success
The first Dune film wasn’t a tremendous success, but it grossed enough in theaters to merit a sequel and continued to accumulate popularity in between installments. The use of a young, all-star cast, including Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya, and the sequel’s additions of Austin Butler and Florence Pugh generated a vast young audience for the series. Dune 2 was more than just a blockbuster movie; its release was a cultural phenomenon, surging across social media with memes and discussion as the box office numbers climbed and introduced millions of new readers to Frank Herbert’s original novels.
Dune 2
was more than just a blockbuster movie; its release was a cultural phenomenon
After that, it would be foolish for Warner Bros. not to continue exploring the series. The original Dune novel is considered Herbert’s most prolific work and arguably the saga’s peak, but there’s still a wealth of great storytelling to be mined from his sequels and the expansion books if the right production team is involved. Warner Bros. has only to keep bringing the right creative teams on board to continue making Dune an exciting saga, and book lovers and fresh audiences will continue to tune in. Dune: Prophecy should be a major indicator of what the franchise’s future will look like.
Dune: Prophecy Will Help Expand The Dune Cinematic Universe
The HBO Series Is Set 10,000 Years Before Dune
Dune: Prophecy will be about the rise of the Bene Gesserit, forming around the central Kwisatz Haderach prophecy of the Dune movies. In terms of premise, it sounds a lot like the concept of Amazon Prime’s The Rings of Power in how it corresponds to the story of The Lord of the Rings, as it will explore how events from thousands of years prior to the movies shaped what the world would eventually become. Prophecy will lay the foundation for the Bene Gesserit’s role in Dune and how their multi-millennia selective breeding plan began.
If Dune: Prophecy reaches the critical acclaim and viewership HBO hopes for, there will undoubtedly be more spinoffs to follow. Having the first TV series tie directly to the plot of the movies is a wise choice, similar to what HBO did with House of the Dragon, establishing a sense of familiarity. From there, they’ll be free to dive deeper into the Dune franchise, especially with Dune 3 likely exploring a bit more of the weirdness of Frank Herbert’s world.