DUNE MESSIAH Will Change Movies Forever

After the success and positive responses to Dune Part 2, I discuss the reasons why Dune Messiah could be a game-changer for modern blockbusters. I recently read Dune Messiah and it's a book that provides a very different kind of finale than we are used to seeing.

I must not hype. Hype is a mind killer

The most intrigueing thing about Messiah is that it doesn´t even bother with a "happy end".

I honestly think this film could REALLY raise the bar for both action and political drama. You could really show the war through flashbacks or even an extended prologue. I just want to see more of the Holy War than the book.

I vote for a uncut all in one dune movie, all three edited together into one cinematic masterpiece.

Im not sure people are going to like it too much. From Dune 2, action drama.... Dune 3, a grinding Greek tragedy... with a grim ending.

The de- construction of Paul's character from a messiah figure to a person responsible for religious crusades & absolutely hating his position is going to be a very difficly set-up to pull-off but i believe in Dennis & Timothee to bring their A-game for this finale

The Godfather Part II laid the groundwork of a tragic blockbuster without a heroic ending. Dune Messiah should follow suit.

It's Villeneuve. It's going to be a great film. I just hope the studio and the general pressure don't get in his way. I hope he gets to make the film he wants to make.

As a book afficionade, i was blown away. I went alone to make sure i didnt have a "pretty pictures" type with me. The experience was amazing. Saturday i will go again.

I wonder if they will show the opening scene of the book; when an official of Muad'dib's religious enforcers interrogate an historian in a prison cell because he dared to be critical of the new Emperor? Another character that will be important to the Conspiracy against Muad'dib will be Bijaz, the creepy Tleilaxu dwarf. I am also wondering though how they will portray the Stone Burner sequence. - No matter what, it's going to be an amazing creation if Denis can come up with a screenplay that he's satisfied with. I hope that this can eventually become a reality!

Great vid. I know you've seen me waxing on about my theory for part 3. You helped me name it the "Hello Grandfather" path, where Paul in the films has decided to choose the "other path" from the books. Where he takes the water of life two years earlier. Denis is such a genius. He found a way to make the first book's story into a critique rather than a pure tragedy. While STILL allowing the audience to be drawn into his cult of personality. It can't be overstated how difficult that is. Essentially, it doesn't matter that Chani is yelling from the rooftops that "this is all a scam!" The audience is still invested in Paul's success, every step along the way. We will find out in Part 3 that Paul turned her away intentionally to (A) save their unborn child, baby Leto, who dies in the first book. (B) To create the movement against Paul's empire and keep Arrakis dry (and the worms happy). And possibly (C) to save Chani from dying in childbirth. In part 1, Paul's first exposure to spice have him a very specific vision that book fans wrote off as "Paul getting his wires crossed." But Denis doesn't work like that. When we see Chani pretend to love Paul in order to get close enough to shank him, the look on her face says "I finally got you, you effing fraud!" THIS is the path Paul has chosen. Which we will see in part 3 because Paul decided not to spend another two years in the desert with Chani. This single act by Paul changes so many things. His sister Alia doesn't kill the Baron. So she won't go mad. Which allows Denis to end Paul's arc in 3 films without making the story seem incomplete. I believe Alia might give us a teaser to the golden path in the final frames of the trilogy. Something like she allows a tiny baby sandworm to crawl around her hand before it cuts to credits. The characters in these films will once again take center stage, with 3 younger people, all the same age. Alia, grown baby Leto... And the daughter of Lady Margot Fenring and Feyd Rautha. "Marie Fenring", who Frank's son wrote about. Denis will use them to create the setting for an ultimate spy vs spy, prescient cold war on psychedelics. By Paul taking the worm's poison early, many ripple effects will take place. I believe that the Reverend Mother Helen wants to even the odds in her favor to control the galaxy once more. Lady Margot was so good in part 2 that Denis would never have done just to throw her away later. Her appearance was just a teaser for what's to come. Because she's still pregnant in the timeline of the films, Reverend Mother Helen will most likely order her to undergo the transformation herself. And allow her own daughter to be preborn. Possibly even with the blue water as well. By doing this, we now have a contender for Alia and Lady Jessica in Marie and Margot. Which is why Denis didn't bother introducing anyone from the Spacing Guild. While they're sent to contend with Paul's mother and sister, Duncan Idaho 2.0 will be used to deal with Paul. I definitely agree that we'll probably spend the first act at the peak of the holy war. Watching the surviving great houses kneel before Paul as emperor. And the Bene Gesserit fleeing to make their plans within plans before time jumps forward again. When we reach the main story's time, Alia (and the other two) will be 18. Specifically because of the PG-13 rating. And that's when Chani will reappear for the first time as the head of the Freman rebellion to stop Paul's empire in Arrakis. This is where Paul will seek Chani out and allow himself to be stabbed for the third time. This will give them a chance to reconcile, as he predicted in part 2. Where he'll explain to Chani some of the reasons he did what he did. To save their son. Which Chani tried to hide from Paul. And Leto himself. This will establish the period of hope before the fall. Prior to this moment, we will see Paul as the reluctant ruler. Plagued by total certainty of the future. Unable to stop what he's already started with his followers. Waiting for the moment when he'll be reunited with his vengeful love and their son. So when it finally happens, it will be beautiful. However short-lived. We'll also learn about his wife's frustrations with Paul. That he refuses to even touch Irulan. Let alone give her an heir. But soon she will learn that Paul already has a son and heir. And that's when she'll turn to Reverend Mother Helen for guidance. And her contraception plot will become an assassination plot. And Paul will be forced to protect them from harm. Which will further help them reconcile. I do believe this will ultimately cost Paul his life by the end of the film. It's POSSIBLE that Chani will become pregnant with the twins. But I think Denis will avoid this. And possibly even use Paul's prescience to explain it. Leto will be saved. Chani might die as well to save him. Stilgar and Gurney will definitely die. Lady Jessica may or may not as well. If the four acts had themes, it would be like this... Act one: Total domination and victory in the Holy War. With Paul's enemies fleeing and planting seeds to harvest later on to stop Paul. Act two: Supreme boredom, ruling the empire. Very familiar to Messiah. An introduction to the new generation of allies and enemies. Prescient plots within plots. Duncan returns to Paul's side, despite everyone's advice to reject him. Someone close to Paul dies. Irulan is sad. She has come to love Paul, and he won't give her the time of day. We feel for her. Act three: Chani's Freman rebellion. Paul walking into her trap. And their reconciliation. Paul becomes a father. Feel good moments are fleeting. Irulan learns about Paul's heir. Plans with Helen, Margot and Marie to take out Leto, Chani, Alia, Jessica. Act four: The prescient wars. Everyone dies except Alia, Leto and possibly Chani and Jessica. We say a sad goodbye to Paul's most trusted friends. Paul thanks Irulan for helping to bring him and Chani back together. She's heartbroken that he allowed her to try and assassinate Leto and Chani. Paul has to die to save the others. He might be blinded in the process. Final moments: One last look at the beautiful Arrakis desert. Alia walks alone. Voiceover from Chani or Irulan postmortem. Tiny baby sandworm on Alia's hand. Zoom out to the sun setting on Dune. Even with that basic template, it can play out a million ways. A thrill a minute. Denis will bring down the house. The greatest trilogy in film history. And the Denis Villeneuve's Dune cinematic universe will go on to make dozens of other projects based on these films. I could see them doing a prestige series for Anya Taylor Joy as the worm goddess emperor. Many seasons over thousands of years in the storyline. Produced by DV himself. He could direct the pilot.

Dune 2 wasn’t a sequel, it was part 2

It's amazing how much people overlook that Paul is playing on God Mode. It's barely mentioned in Dune pt2 and most of the youtube commentary on his character seems to overlook it completely (as do several Herbert comments in fairness). Paul doesn't choose actions; he chooses outcomes but he has to do so from a highly constrained selection.

Great analysis, thank you for taking the time to make it. Villeneuve really does have an opportunity to make a film that's stridently anti-Hollywood - and we can be sure he will take it in that direction, as he was already laying the groundwork in Part 2. While it would be overly reductive to call Paul a villian, it's clear that his good intentions fail to prevent the deaths of tens of billions of peope, and the tragic ending represents his ultimate acceptance that the world may well be better off without him. 2027 can't come soon enough!

I totally agree. I think Chani will already be pregnant from the sequal and she comes back. Alia is the most difficult part in my opinion.

Excellent video. Well said.

They say Dune is the the Lord of the Rings of the modern era! 🤤

I think the the first 30 minutes of part 3 could be a climactic battle across the galaxy, then when Paul and the Fremen win, it jumps ahead in years to when he's been Emperor for a while and Alia is grown up, the plot to overthrow him gets underway and Chani and he reunite etc. Just my 2 cents.

I'm worried about the age of characters / passing of time. When will the third movie be set? 12 years after Paul becomes Emperor? But then Alia will be only 12 and there's no way they'll show a romantic relationship between a 12yo and Idaho - and nor should they. But if they set it 16 or 18 years later, then that would be a problem too cos Chalamet is too young and too baby faced to pull that off.