After spending a number of years on Arrakis, director Denis Villeneuve said he wanted to go someplace else for his subsequent undertaking. And whereas we don’t know “the place” that’s, we do know “when.” Warner Bros. simply set a December 18, 2026 launch date for Villenuve’s subsequent film, which is described as an “occasion movie.” It higher be too, as a result of, because it stands now, the opposite film set to release on that date is a brand new Star Wars movie.
Within the aftermath of Dune: Part Two’s release earlier this yr, Villeneuve not solely spoke about making a 3rd Dune, Dune Messiah, however was attached to at least one other project. That’s Nuclear Warfare, primarily based on a non-fiction ebook by Annie Jacobsen that makes an attempt to color a practical image of what an precise nuclear conflict, and its fallout, would seem like. This 2026 movie could possibly be that or, in an enormous twist, it would truly be Dune Messiah. Deadline appears to assume it’s Dune and the Hollywood Reporter teases the identical. It’s unclear for sure although.
What is obvious nevertheless is Warner Bros. isn’t messing round with regardless of the title is. As of now, the untitled Star Wars movie (presumably the Rey film) is the one movie to have a launch date in December 2026. The entire remainder of the month is empty. Whether it is Dune Messiah, why would the studio choose that particular date to go up in opposition to Star Wars? It might choose actually every other date. However no, it particularly picked December 18 which might imply it’s counter-programming to Star Wars—like some sort of huge Oscar-bait factor—or the studio doesn’t consider Star Wars will occur. There’s no manner it will launch Dune Messiah the identical day as a Star Wars film, proper?
Both manner, if anybody might launch a movie to compete with Star Wars, it’s Denis Villeneuve. And Dune can be simply the factor too.
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