Rebecca Ferguson Has A Weird Dune 3 Hope - But It Will Probably Never Happen
As one of the most critically acclaimed films of 2024, "Dune: Part Two" blew audiences away at the box office, so it's easy to see why fans are clamoring for director Denis Villeneuve to make another film in this universe. Villeneuve has already said that he'll helm "Dune Messiah," but on one condition: it has to be better than "Dune: Part Two." Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Lady Jessica in the "Dune" movies, has also stated what she wants from a potential future installment, and it's far more esoteric.
Ferguson spoke with The Playlist about the prospect of "Dune 3" and how the creative team has a massive legacy to live up to. She also explained what she, personally, would like to have happen in the third film. "I would love to see Timothee [Chalamet] turn into a worm."
Chalamet, of course, plays protagonist Paul Atreides in the "Dune" movies, but that character never turns into a sandworm in any of the novels. Instead, that "honor" belongs to Paul's son, Leto II, the grossest "Dune" character whose final form we may never see on the big screen. Altering the storyline to have Paul become the worm emperor would be a pretty major change, although it would be fun to see how technological wizardry would transform current Hollywood "It Boy" Timothee Chalamet into one of the giant creatures.
Will Rebecca Ferguson even be around for more Dune movies?
Denis Villeneuve's two "Dune" movies so far focus solely on the first book in Frank Herbert's series. "Dune Messiah" would be the second book to adapt, and it already faces some major hurdles if the film is to be just as good as what's come so far. "Dune Messiah" doesn't have a ton of action, with a storyline more centered on political intrigue. Another thing the book has going against it is that Lady Jessica is nowhere to be found. Considering that Rebecca Ferguson is easily one of the best parts of the cinematic duology so far, it's easy to imagine Villeneuve wanting to bring her back in some capacity.
But while Villeneuve might add her character to entice audiences to come back for "Dune 3," it's unlikely he would make a change as massive as turning Paul into the worm emperor. Besides, that development doesn't even come until the third book in the series, "Children of Dune," where Leto II merges with a sandworm and gains immortality. The fourth book, "God Emperor of Dune," occurs thousands of years in the future and deals with Leto II as a giant worm god who is also the bane of humanity's existence.
Villeneuve has already said that "Dune 3" will be his final "Dune" movie. If the series continues after that, it will be up to another filmmaker to decide how to handle Leto II's transformation — and find an actor brave enough to forever be associated with playing a gigantic worm.