There's good news and bad news if you're a fan of Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune' adaptation.
Let's start with the bad news: the release of 'Dune: Part Two', which was originally scheduled for this November, has now been pushed back until March 2024 due to the ongoing strikes in Hollywood.
Potentially - now that 'Dune: Part Two' will not be in contention for next year's Oscars - that now clears the path for 'Oppenheimer' to dominate the awards in February.
However, although 'Dune' fans may have longer to wait to see Timothee Chalamet return as Paul Atreides and a terrifyingly hairless Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonne , director Denis Villeneuve has dropped a major hint that there may yet be a third film in the series.
Although it hasn't been confirmed, Villeneuve said he had already begun work on a script, saying "I will say, there are words on paper."
He told Empire: "If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream. 'Dune Messiah' was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning."
Villeneueve referenced the novel 'Dune Messiah', which was written by Frank Herbert after his first novel 'Dune' - which Villeneuve's two films are based upon - in 1969. He went on to write several other sequels set in the same world, so there's potentially scope for multiple adaptations down the line.
Meanwhile, Villeneuve's comment that "There are words on paper" has raised some eyebrows considering there's a writer's strike currently in place - but supporters of the Canadian director have argued that Villeneuve has discussed the potential for a third installment for several years.
It is also not forbidden to write a spec script during the strike, but paid writing is not seen as a violation.
