Based on the current success of Dune Part 2, I don't think it will be too long until
we get an official announcement for the third film in Denis Villeneuve's saga,
Dune Messiah. But what can we expect to see from the next part of the director's Dune adaptation
and what are the main things that I would like to see after loving Part 2. In this video,
I'm going to be discussing what I personally want to see in a Dune Messiah film including the things
we most likely will get when that film finally releases. This video will contain big spoilers
from Dune Part 2 and the Messiah book, so if you don't want anything spoiled, then I would
recommend watching this video at a later time. Before I get into it though, if you want to keep
up to date on any of my future content surrounding Dune Part 2, Messiah and beyond, then don't forget
to support this upload by giving it a like rating and subscribing to the channel. But without
further a do, here are the things that I would like to see in Denis Villeneuve's Dune Messiah.
So fans of Frank Herbert’s Dune love the first book in the saga, and despite the many doubts
that there were surrounding its adaptability, the novel has always had the essential elements for
a great cinematic experience. However, when it comes to the author's other books, opinions tend
to vary. While some appreciate them, the general consensus is that they never quite reach the same
level of excitement. Director Denis Villeneuve has expressed his preference in adapting only the next
book with Dune Messiah, and part of that is due to the increasing weirdness of the later novels.
He's currently working on a script for that Messiah film, and it's true that there are some
very big challenges when it comes to pulling that off. But a good portion of Herbert's fans enjoy
Messiah's focus on politics and philosophy, as the book continues after a 12-year time jump and
highlights the reign of Paul Atreides’ as Emperor and his challenging relationships with Princess
Irulan and Chani. Alos, Paul's fears of a violent jihad have faded away, but now he faces different
problems. A conspiracy to overthrow him from power and then the complications surrounding the desire
for an heir. The focus of the book is mainly on palace politics rather than being alligned to
that of a grand movie spectacle and it definitely calls for some reworking both in tone, structure
and character work. And with Paul's mother, Lady Jessica, also absent in the book, it's hard to
imagine the director not changing some of elements involved. While Dune was an epic tale of revenge,
Messiah delves into Paul's struggle to maintain order within his house and grapple with his
legacy. So far, Villeneuve has stayed true to the source material's themes, prioritizing essential
characters and story elements, while trimming things to aid that. But on the other hand,
the more faithful you are to Messiah, the less captivating it may appear onscreen. So to make
it a great final film in this potential trilogy, Villeneuve and his team need to demonstrate a
higher level of creativity then ever before, and based on most of the decisions they make,
give us a satisfying conclusion for this cinematic adaptation. For the events that take place in the
second book, some fans are saying we need a Return of the King level finale, while others
say that it needs to be similar to something like the Godfather Part 3 in tone. And while I
don't disagree that these are both great points of reference, I think for Villeneuve's conclusion to
satisfy after what we got in part 1 and 2, that it would probably need to be a great display of both
rather than one or the other. Part 2 concludes with the suggestion of a somewhat new beginning
for Messiah, as Chani appears betrayed and leaves Paul's army, paving the way for a more challenging
dynamic between the two lovers come that next film. And with this in mind, I think it could
be a big indication of where Messiah opens. I believe that instead of already having occurred,
that they will aim integrate the holy war itself during Messiah's first act. Denis has been filling
in the gaps and bringing to light the aspects of Dune that Herbert overlooked or things that
happened in the background of those books. And with this in mind, at the beginning of Dune
Messiah, I think we'll see the Fedaykin killing those from the other noble houses in the name of
Muad'dib. The act of crucifying disbelievers and setting them on fire, as we saw in one of Paul's
visions, will be a gruesome opening that set ups the ramifications and political plot points to
come. I think Princess Irulan will narrate a part of this chaos in the opening scene, describing the
devastation unleashed by Paul after he became the emperor of the known universe. I think we'll come
to learn of the billions dead in Paul's name and the arrising issues he is about to face beyond the
war. Even though Messiah may lack intense action sequences, there are numerous significant elements
to highlight, whether it be the fury of the war itself, the magnificence of Arrakeen, the Citadel,
or the extended depiction of life in the city, which we weren't really introduced to. I think
that by showcasing the last year or so of the holy war, rather than just going straight into
the aftermath, will allow the audience to see just how devastating it was for every character
and how those that we've followed previously get to where they are in the messiah story. Hell,
Denis might even use the whole of the first act to set this up and he might reintroduce characters
that we didn't expect to be in the film, like with Lady Jessica. She's barely in the Messiah book,
and you'd predict that Denis would somehow integrate characters as important as her in
a new way. You could get an idea of how Jessica is during the last years of the war and how she
will essentially play a bigger role than she does in the book. So despite the greater political
focus later on in Messiah, there are still ways to include scale and action. And doing so using the
Holy war, could be an interesting way to see those events play out. I think Villeneuve will find a
way to balance Messiah and I could also see him incorporating elements of Herbert's Children of
Dune into the film as well. And if he intends to conclude his series with that third film,
it would be a no brainer to at least show to some compacity what Paul's path means for those ahead
of him. Utilizing the Holy war as a narrative device can ultimately showcase Paul's uncertainty
regarding the Golden Path. And again, it can help to fuel the events of the Messiah book,
embracing the more intimate and political, and setting us up for an intense conclusion between
characters. And with all of this mostly taking place in a single location, the potential for pure
drama, performance and character work could trump what we've seen of that previously. I really like
this prospect because it means that a third film could be very different to the conclusive movies
we've seen in other big franchises in the past. It's not full out war with the hero prevailing,
it's essentially a complete reversal of that. And this doesn't mean that Denis has to remove
the scale or moments of action throughout. I just think he needs to rework it so that he can make a
film that has both. Dune Part 2 hinted at Paul's future, suggesting that he would follow his mother
into a holy war among starving followers. And Villeneuve's decision to avoid a 2-year time jump
in Part 2 suggests that Messiah might do something similar by giving us a more thorough exploration
of the holy war itself. So I think he's going to do that at the beginning and then use it to lead
us into those later ramifications of the book. But I bet your asking, what is an example of how
Messiah could actually start with that holy war, and then also, how do the alterations to Chani's
character at the end of part 2 link into this new take. Well, with her opposition to the holy war
being a major plot point, and there being tensions with her and Irulan, her pregnancy, and Paul's
actions in Messiah, you have the opportunity to over time bring her closer to the arc she has in
the second book. By integrating her character into the holy war segments, I think Villeneuve might
showcase the journey she undergoes to reach who she is in Messiah. Chani could potentially become
the leader of the Fremen who resist Paul’s holy war and by showing that she's not the only one who
doubts this supposed messiah from another world, it could make things more interesting during
that earlier timeframe. For instance, we might witness her leading guerrilla attacks against the
Atreides’ spice mining operations, a somewhat new spin on what she did against House Harkonnen in
the previous films. And then as Part 3 progresses and we get past the holy war, we might get an idea
of how the two characters reconnect with Paul further haunted by the visions of her death. The
storyline will eventually mirror that of Messiah, with Chani becoming pregnant. So I think that her
love for Paul will triumph over her loyalty to the traditional Fremen way of life. Also with
Chani aware of the conspiracy against Paul, that's another reason why she might make her way back to
him in the many years after Part 2's ending. Paul understood that Chani's anger towards the false
prophet narrative would drive her to ultimately seek liberation for her people, which is why the
concluding scene of Part 2 focuses on Chani's anger. Maybe her part in Messiah will somewhat
mirror Korba's role in that second book, a Fremen character who betrayed Muad'dib due to their
disagreement with what happened. There are several elements in Messiah that differ from the original
Dune book, particularly in relation to the Fremen, as the book portrays a sense of dissatisfaction
among some Fremen living in villages on Arrakis, and they are weary after the war and uninterested
in that path. So Part 2 began to establish this idea, highlighting the contrast between
the southern fremen who believe in the prophesy and the Northern Fremen who are less involved
with that religious perspective. So imagine if part 2 began with Chani situated in one of these
fremen villages, and the Fremen there display how tired they are of the war and how uncertain
they've become about the changing landscape of Arrakis. Then we might see a significant event
that occurs in the village, prompting Chani to seek help from Paul. And this could link into that
vision Paul had previously, where he following his mother into the Holy War, with starving
followers all around her. Alternatively, they could even introduce Messiah's villain Scytale,
as a catalyst for this development, and really stress on the conspiracy and manipulation of
Paul. That could work as a way into Paul and Chani reconnecting and it could show us the desperation
of their situation. So there is a way that Denis could yes start the film with the holy war,
but like the first two films, find a way into that earlier timeframe using more intimate and complex
plot points. And these plot points connect to the main events of the Messiah storyline. I do think
that whatever route the director takes, that Paul and Chani's re-connection will be somewhat driven
by Chani having her and Paul's two children. I think there is a way to get to this, and the
director can use the events and character turns of Chani's development in Part 2 to slowly move
us towards her general arc in Messiah. The ideas of Messiah can make for a great adaptation, and
while I think it will have a more unique identity as compared to Part 2, I think the tone will be
somewhat reminscent of Part 1, with a focus on the political aftermath and the consequences of
certain events. While I believe it will still feature moments of grandeur and brutal action,
especially with a depiction of the the holy war at the start, I think we will then delve into the
political implications of that Messiah book. Messiah also introduces characters we've seen
teased, has a character return in quite the unexpected way and mostly removes a
character that has been heavily involved in part 1 and 2. We get a grown up version of
Paul's sister Alia atreides, the return of Duncan Idaho, who now goes by the name Hayt,
and there's no sign of Lady Jessica. Now there's going to be a lot of changes, and one of them
that I could see happening is through Paul's mother. She doesn't appear in Messiah at all,
and as depicted in the book, Alia takes her place. In Messiah, Jessica has returned to Caladan,
the ancestral home of the Atreides, and although she cannot directly influence Paul, she does serve
as a distant advisor. Therefore, I think it's possible that Jessica's involvement could be
altered in Messiah and that Denis may have her involved more in the events, because she has
been our main way in to the plotline of the bene gesserit in this adaptation. The other question,
which surrounds the return of Duncan Idaho, is one that I have no idea surrounding how they'll adapt
it. In the book, the Tleilaxu present Hayt, a ghola of Duncan Idaho as a gift to Paul,
but Paul can sense that he shouldn't trust him without relying on his prescient abilities. Hayt's
presence immediately damages Paul's reputation among the Fremen, who hold a negative view of
gholas, considering them as mere imitations of the original. Furthermore, Hayt seduces Alia,
resulting in a lot of sexual tension between those two characters. So it will interesting
to see how they'll adapt Duncan's return and to be honest, I think it's something that Denis will
have to bring to the big screen. The other apsect that we already know is going to be in the film,
is Alia Atreides, who is being played by Anya Taylor Joy. Paul's sister has become a religious
figure in her own right on Arrakis, with many Fremen worshipping her as "St. Alia of the Knife."
Her priorities include unraveling the growing conspiracy against her brother and finding a
suitable partner. Denis has already introduced her character in a slightly different way in part 2,
but with her being out of the womb in the next film I'm sure we'll get the complete take on her
character. So I do expect him to have characters like this there, because they are important to
the story. But I do think he'll make some changes, and whether they are big structural ones or just
visual ones, we'll have to wait and see. As the story of Dune Messiah progresses,
it becomes clear that it's a tragic tale that Denis himself wants to tap into by
the end of his trilogy. He said this in recent interviews and it's all about delivering on the
message and themes that Herbert aimed to capture with his first book. In Messiah,
a secret alliance involving the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the Tleilaxu plot against
Paul. And despite these threats, Paul is aware of the dangers and even knows about Princess
Irulan's attempts to harm Chani. He allows it to happen, knowing that Chani's fate is
inevitable according to his visions. Tragedy looms over him, and he can only delay the
inevitable outcome. Paul is actually blinded by an atomic blast, but his prescience allows
him to navigate the world using his visions. But unfortunately, Chani does die during childbirth as
predicted by his visions. Paul may have witnessed Chani's death, but he didn't anticipate that she
was carrying twins. And similar to Alia, the twins are born with full awareness and access to their
ancestral memories. As Paul's path deviates from his visions, he becomes truly blind. Scytale,
the Tleilaxu representative involved in the plot against Paul, threatens his children and demand
that Paul abdicate his throne and relinquish his C.H.O.A.M. company holdings. In return, he offers
to resurrect Chani as a ghola like Duncan Idaho. Paul refuses and taps into his newborn son's
psychic vision, enabling him to throw a perfectly aimed knife and kill Scytale. Paul eventually
follows Fremen tradition and retreats into the desert to die, leaving Alia and the now-humbled
Irulan to raise his children. With this final act, Paul successfully secures his family's future and
by exiling himself, he breaks his hold over the Fremen, proving that he's not a god but merely
a mortal. Many questions surrounding what comes next is answered in Children Of Dune,
and while I think we will see a bit of Children come the ending of Messiah, Denis has made it
clear that he's aiming to wrap up his Dune saga with the tragic story of Paul atreides. So I
really hope this ending to Messiah feels complete for Denis adaptation, and while there is much that
happens beyond the events of the second book, for the adaptation that Denis has put to screen,
this is likely going to be the final film. And again, that doesn't mean he can't include a
bit of Children of Dune in there too, or in the years to come that another filmmaker can't come
along and do films or shows based on those later book. But when it comes to Denis take on Dune,
Messiah seems like it will be the last one. It will be the true end for Paul Atreides story, and
I expect that the filmmaker is really going to try to find a bittersweet balance between the tragedy
of Paul Atreides and the hope of the future. But that was my video discussing what I would love
to see in Dune Messiah. It will be interesting to see how Denis Villeneuve tackles new characters
and dramatic storytelling turns, and if he does pull it off, I think Messiah can be a satisfying
end to his Dune trilogy. We'll have to see what happens and based on the current performance of
Part 2 at the box office, I think we're going to be getting an announcement for the film very soon.
But let me know down below in the comments section what you're personally excited for surrounding
Dune Messiah alongside how you would like to see certain elements adapted from that book.
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I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.