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Summary
The upcoming adaptation ofDune: Messiahmight be the most anticipated sci-fi project in the near future. However, director Denis Villeneuve faces significant hurdles he must overcome to bring his grand vision to life — perhaps more than any otherDunefilm or TV show.
The supposedlyunfilmableDunenovelhad to be split into two parts, with many details condensed or omitted. So, it’s understandable why adaptingDune Messiahmight be equally or even more challenging. Frank Herbert’s sequel to his original science fiction novel presents its own set of complications. It’s not just its massive scale and sprawling length, but also its style and substance, that may be hard to translate to the big screen.
Why IsDune MessiahHard To Adapt?
Less Action, More Politics
Dune: Messiahis likely to completean iconic trilogythat’s comparable to classics likeStar Wars,The Lord of the Rings, and more. However, the problem with usingDune Messiahas the source material for the third film is that it may not align with the studio’s vision of a contemporary trilogy finale. Compared to Part One,Dune: Part Twoleaned heavily on action over dialogue, so it’s only natural for audiences to expect all-out climactic battles in the third film. But fans of the book know that isn’t the case.
What Happens InDune Messiah?
Dune Messiahpicks up 12 years after Paul Atreides becomes emperor. During his reign, over 60 billion people have died, yet Paul continues to justify these actions through his visions. His power grows to such uncontrollable lengths thatgroups like the Bene Gesseritand the Spacing Guild are forced to conspire to dethrone him.
Dune Messiah’s Lack Of Spectacle
Problem For A Trilogy Finale
The story ofDune Messiahis a dark and introspective affair. Compared to the first book, which had clearly defined villains and dramatic moments like Paulriding a sandworm, this sequel is far less action-packed.Messiahfocuses on palace intrigue, Paul’s inner conflicts, and his descent into tyranny. There’s little to no room for cinematic set-pieces. Even the wars are mostly discussed as background events, with only their aftermath being felt later.
This would be a challenge for audiences who are expecting a high-octane spectacle afterPart Two. Instead of a blockbuster film, they would get a more meditative story about corruption, sacrifice, and the dangers of absolute power. If thelukewarm response toDune: Prophecytaught us anything, it’s that this slow-burn, dialogue-heavy tone doesn’t deliver the impact Warner Bros. likely hoped for.
Showing Paul Atreides’ Problematic Arc
Cautionary Tale Against Hero Worship
Another major challenge Villeneuve and his team of writers will need to overcome is how to portrayPaul Atreides' negative arcinDune: Messiah.Dune: Part Twoalready showed Timothée Chalamet’s character beginning to let power consume him. While the originalDuneserves as a cautionary tale against hero worship, Frank Herbert intentionally wroteDune Messiahto dismantle any misconceptions about Paul as a hero. He addressed this ina 1980 essay titled Dune Genesis:
This, then, was one of my themes for Dune: Don’t give over all of your critical faculties to people in power, no matter how admirable those people may appear to be. Beneath the hero’s facade you will find a human being who makes human mistakes. Enormous problems arise when human mistakes are made on the grand scale available to a superhero.
Potential Political Correctness Problems
This sequel must fully commit to portraying Paul Atreides as a merciless ruler who kills billions and justifies his actions in the name of a larger purpose. In fact, there’s a key conversation with Stilgar in the book where Paul references real-life historical figures likeGenghis Khanand Adolf Hitler to explain his reasoning. Such a scene would likely not translate well into today’s socio-political and cultural climate. EvenDune: Prophecyavoided controversy by not namingthe Butlerian Jihadas it is so called in the books, instead referring to the event as the Machine Wars.
It’s unlikely the producers will fully confront these darker aspects of Paul Atreides' character. On the other hand, softening or omitting them for public consumption would diminish his weight as an anti-hero. While modern audiences are generally accepting of morally gray protagonists, Paul’s journey from the prophesied savior to a genocidal ruler might be too extreme for many to handle.
Dune: Messiah Could Still Be A Masterpiece
A Reward That’s Worth The Risk
Not every major movie needs to feature a grand battle during its third act. DespiteDune Messiahbeing a largely political and religious story, there is still room for high stakes and threatening enemies. Moreover, the difficulty in adapting Paul’s character development goes on to prove just how great it is. If his arc is portrayed perfectly, it could become an iconic achievement in cinema for deconstructing the hero archetype on this scale.
The best way to achieve this is to actually depict the war — to show parts of it, rather than starting the story after it has already occurred, as in the book. Villeneuve had already done this in previous films by expanding on elements ofDunethat Herbert glossed over or relegated to the background. Peter Jackson did something similar withThe Lord of the Rings, where he took relatively minor details from the books and transformed them into epic set pieces.
If anyone is capable of pulling it off, it has to be Denis Villeneuve. TheBlade Runner 2049director could still choose to take his own creative liberties and incorporate new elements of the Holy War to spice it up. Some consider theDune Messiahnovel to be an epilogue toDune, while others see it as a companion piece. However, it’s up to Villeneuve to transform it into a signature franchise finale that balances both action and philosophy.
