“Dune: Part Three” is confirmed to be in development at Legendary. Helmed by Denis Villeneuve, the first two Dune films were critically acclaimed upon release, and though Part One struggled at the box office because of a day-and-date streaming release and audiences weary of the pandemic, Part Two more than made up for it with a strong showing. As of the time of writing, it is the highest-grossing movie of 2023 with $630.2 million so far at the worldwide box office.

Now, “Dune: Part Three” is officially in the works, according to a new report from Deadline. In announcing Villeneuve’s next film, it was also revealed that Nuclear War: A Scenario would be made after he adapts Dune Messiah. Villeneuve already teased that work on a script had begun, and the director has long said that it was his goal to adapt the second novel in Frank Herbert's sci-fi series.

While it had seemed extremely likely that Villeneuve would get the chance to adapt Dune Messiah, it hasn't been officially greenlit by Warner Bros. Villeneuve has been open about his desire to make three Dune movies in total since before Part One was released in 2021 and has already begun working on certain elements of Part Three. Lead star Timothée Chalamet even went so far as to tease a major Messiah plot point in an interview in 2023.