Summary
- Zendaya is ready to return for Dune 3 if director Denis Villeneuve calls.
- She started reading Dune Messiah while still working on the first movie.
- Zendaya respects Villeneuve’s perfectionism and is willing to wait until he is ready to share more.
Zendaya says she is ready to return for Dune 3, but reveals why the potential sequel might not happen right away. After delivering an epic visual experience with Dune: Part One, director Denis Villeneuve is set to bring audiences back to Arrakis in the upcoming Dune: Part Two. Having played a relatively small role in the first movie, Zendaya is set to see her screen time expand in the second film, as her freedom fighting character Chani becomes more integral to the story of Paul Atreides and his emerging destiny.
Even as the Dune: Part Two release date approaches, Zendaya spoke about her potential return in Dune: Part Three, revealing that she’s ready whenever director Denis Villeneuve calls, but also cautioning that it might take a while for the potential sequel to come together. Check out her remarks below (via Fandango):
Would we be down? I mean of course. Anytime Denis calls it’s a yes from me, at least. I’m excited to see what happens. I started Messiah and I was like, ‘Woah, I’m only shooting the first movie. Let me just go back to the first one.’ It’s so much to take in, and I think there’s no better hands with better care and love for it than him [Villeneuve]. [I’m] just excited to see … It’s just anticipation. Whenever he is ready. I know he’s a perfectionist in many ways and doesn’t want to share things unless he’s fully ready to do that. So [I’m] respecting that and waiting until he’s ready.
How Long Will It Take For Dune 3 To Arrive?
It’s important to note that Dune: Part Three has not yet been officially greenlit. Much depends on the box office performance for Dune: Part Two, and whether Warner Bros. wants to go ahead with a third film. It’s encouraging that cast members like Zendaya seem enthusiastic about the prospect of coming back for the third movie, and say they are ready whenever Villeneuve calls. But that call may not come for some time, as Villeneuve has other projects he is working on, and could choose to direct another film before getting to Dune 3.
Given the epic scope of Villeneuve’s films, and his own meticulous nature, his next project is bound to take several years to complete. It might be another five years before he’s even ready to begin production on Dune: Part Three. Those who’ve read Dune Messiah realize that there’s a time-jump built into the story, as the book takes place a full 12 years after the events of Dune, so there’s no rush to get the next movie going.
Dune: Part One grossed $402 million on a budget of $165 million.
That is not to say Villeneuve has to wait 12 years to make Dune: Part Three, as his actors could easily be aged up a few years if necessary. But it would be a surprise if a third Dune movie made it to theaters before 2030. If Dune: Part Two were to be an unexpectedly massive hit, Warner Bros. could push Villeneuve to go right into Dune 3 despite everything. It remains to be seen if audiences are as hungry for a return to Arrakis as Zendaya and her castmates seem to be.
Source: Fandango
