Dune Messiahhas the potential to beDenis Villeneuve’s best moviein a long time if the director manages to pull off the book’s major set pieces and character moments with the same intricacy and precision as Frank Herbert’s original novel. However, the book has plenty of strange and unusual ideas that will be very difficult to bring to life on the big screen.
Thankfully, Villeneuve has already proved on two occasions thathe’s the perfect director for Herbert’s works, and there’s nothing to indicate thatDune Messiahshould be any different. Although he’s made somechanges to theDuneuniverse, these have all been well-intentioned and serve the story in powerful ways. This will undoubtedly be the case with his third movie, too.
10Scytale’s Arrival on Arrakis
The Face Dancer Plays A Huge Role In The Story
Scytale is among the most interestingnew characters inDune Messiah. As a Face Dancer,he’s capable of taking on other people’s appearancesand stealing their identities whenever it suits him. The antagonist uses this ability throughoutMessiahto carefully infiltrate Emperor Paul’s (Timothée Chalamet) council, orchestrating a dangerous assassination attempt from the shadows.
There are rumors that Robert Pattinson could play Scytale after he was reportedly approached for a role inDune: Part Three.
One of the main criticisms that’s often leveled againstDune Messiahis also its biggest strength. It’s much slower and less action-packed than Herbert’s original novel. It’s more of a political thriller thanDune, which is better described as a sci-fi adventure story;much of the narrative is told from Scytale’s perspectiveas he arrives on Arrakis and examines the surrounding culture. Knowing Villeneuve’s style, this should make for some very atmospheric scenes in the upcoming adaptation.
9Chani’s Rivalry With Irulan
The Two Women Have Different Roles In Paul’s Life
Another of the major subplots inDune Messiahis the rivalry between Chani (Zendaya) and Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), who are both vying for Paul’s affections in different ways. While Chani is the one whom he truly loves, Irulan needs an heir to secure her hold on the Empire.This creates a very unconventional love triangle, as Paul is torn between love and duty to uphold his reign.
Princess Irulan is a very complex character, andDune Messiahreally leans into her dark side more than in the previous book. Not only does she assist Scytale and the Bene Gesserit in their plans to assassinate Paul, but she also repeatedly poisons Chani to ensure that she won’t conceive an imperial heir. This dynamic is going to be a huge part of Villeneuve’s next movie, especially given the major changes he’s already made to Chani’s character.
8The Conspiracy To Overthrow Paul
The Bene Gesserit Are Part Of A Dangerous Rebellion
There are several interweaving storylines inDune Messiah, but perhaps the most central is the ongoing plot to murder Paul Atreides. The new Emperor has fallen out of favor with most of the known universe following his brutal war against the Great Houses, and these forces finally emerge to bring him down inMessiah.
Warner Bros. has a movie scheduled for June 30, 2025, which is speculated to be forDune: Part Three.
Given how much of this book focuses on politics and secrecy, it seems likely that Villeneuve will spend lots of time with the Bene Tleilax and Bene Gesserit instead ofDune’s returning characters. Figures likeScytale and the Reverend Mother are crucial to this conspiracy, andMessiahcould use them to really lean into the dark, slow-paced storytelling that makes the book so unique.
7Alia’s Romance With Hayt
Paul’s Sister Has A Strange Romance With His Old Mentor
Perhaps the most unlikely romance in theDunefranchise is that of Alia Atreides (Anya Taylor-Joy) and Hayt (Jason Momoa), who find an unlikely partnership during the events ofDune Messiah. WhileAlia technically hasn’t been born yet in Villeneuve’s adaptations, the significant time jump means she’s definitely going to play a large role in the third movie.
Hayt is a ghola of Duncan Idaho(a sort of artificially created “clone”), who is created and employed by Scytale to infiltrate Paul’s court and murder him at the most opportune moment. This doesn’t exactly go to plan, however, as Hayt gradually learns to respect Paul and falls in love with his younger sister.Their romance is one of the few heartfelt aspects ofDune Messiah, which is otherwise very clinical and dark.
6Hayt Fails To Kill Paul
The Ghola Begins To Reclaim His Identity
AlthoughDune Messiahcame under huge critical fire upon release for being so thematically and narratively distinct from Herbert’s original novel, the characterization of Hayt was among the few things that almost all readers could appreciate. The wayhe is both physically identical but spiritually different from Duncanis such an interesting idea, and his dynamic with Paul really helps to highlight how much these characters have been changed by the ongoing conflict.
There are several moments inDune Messiahwhere Hayt is “activated” by the Bene Tleilax and is instructed to kill the Emperor, but he fails to do so. These could make for some brilliant fight scenes in Villeneuve’s adaptation, utilizing the sharp fight choreography that was so great in the first two movies.
5Chani’s Childbirth And Death
Paul’s Lover Falls Victim To The Bene Gesserit’s Politics
Chani’s story has already changed massively in Villeneuve’s adaptation, with the character making the unexpected decision atthe end of the secondDunemovieto leave Paul behind andnot live as his concubine. This is a major change from Herbert’s original text, and it’s going to have immense ramifications for the story ofDune Messiah. In the book,Paul and Chani remain in love despite Irulan’s machinations, and Chani ultimately dies after giving birth to their twins.
The entire future of this franchise hinges on their children being born, but that doesn’t mean Villeneuve has to take the exact same route to get there.
Although Paul and Chani are separated at the end ofDune: Part Two, it’s very likely that they’ll make their way back to each other inDune Messiah.The entire future of this franchise hinges on their children being born, but that doesn’t mean Villeneuve has to take the exact same route to get there. It will be fascinating to see how the director changes their dynamic inDune Messiah, but Chani’s death is still going to be a very emotional scene to bring to life.
4Paul Murders Scytale
Scytale’s Final Moments Highlight Paul’s Brutality
Scytale’s story comes to a brutal end towards the end ofDune Messiahwhen Paul murders the Face Dancer in cold blood after realizing he’s the one behind the ongoing conspiracy to have him killed.The scene comes briefly after Chani’s death, as Scytale attempts to take advantage of Paul’s grief and offers to make him a ghola of Chani if he agrees to relinquish power of the universe.
Instead, Paul kills Scytale. It’s a huge turning point for him and an altogether brutal scene that essentially marks the final nail in the coffin for the Atreides Emperor. Not only has he lost the one person he truly loved, but he’s also facing an ongoing conspiracy that will stop at nothing to see him dead. If the rumors aboutPattinson playing Scytale inDune Messiahare true, this scene could be one of the most exciting and emotionally charged in the entire movie.
3The Guild Navigators
Edric Will Be A Huge Challenge To Adapt
TheDunefranchise is filled with weird and wonderful creatures that really help to capture the scope of this futuristic landscape, and so far, Villeneuve has done an excellent job of adapting them all for the big screen. However,the Guild Navigator may be his biggest challenge yet. These genetically modified humans are employed by the Space Guild and live in huge antigravity tanks filled with spice, distorting their appearance and giving them fish-like physical qualities.
It’s very hard to imagine how Villeneuve is going to adapt these creatures without making them seem cartoonish and silly - in fact, many have suggested that he’ll simply omit these creatures from the story altogether.
It’s very hard to imagine how Villeneuve is going to adapt these creatures without making them seem cartoonish and silly. In fact, many have suggested that he’ll simply omit these creatures from the story altogether. However, this would eliminate one ofDune Messiah’s most interesting characters: Edric, a Guild Navigator who uses his power to feed information to the Bene Gesserit in their conspiracy against Paul.
2Paul’s Exile Into The Desert
Paul Decides To Sacrifice Himself To Protect His Children
At theend ofDune Messiah, the story of Paul Atreides finally comes to an emotional end. After destroying his humanity to protect the people he loves,Paul accepts that he can’t rule as Emperor any longer, and exiles himself into the deserts of Arrakis.
This is a very potent ending for Paul; by going into the desert and allowing himself to die, he is accepting the traditions of the Fremen and no longer trying to control them as the Muad’Dib. He knows that avoiding death any longer will merely cause more political schisms and conspiracies, which could stain the reputation of his family and delegitimize his children’s imperial rule.
1The Stone Burner
The Bene Tleilax Hold One Of Dune’s Most Powerful Weapons
The boldest and most visceral set piece inDune Messiahcenters around the Stone Burner, an atomic weapon employed by the Bene Tleilax to murder Paul during a visit to the Fremen of Arrakis. The scene not only displays the scope of the conspiracy against him, butalso demonstrates the heartless brutality of the Bene Tleilax, whose weapon kills countless innocent Fremen.
The atomic blast also leaves Paul blinded, which triggers his exile into the desert under traditional Fremen law at the end of the book. There were plenty of huge set pieces in Villeneuve’s previousDunemovies, from Paul riding the Sandworm to the atomic assault on Arrakeen, butDune Messiah’sStone Burner has the potential to rival them all if it’s executed right.
