The ending of Denis Villeneuve's Dune Part 2 has posed many questions when it comes to
the events of Dune Messiah.
Readers of Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel have known the plot of the sci-fi epic
for years, but the ending of Villeneuve's latest film suggests that we may see differences
in how those events are brought the big screen.
And for those who haven't read the material, there will be general questions surrounding
the future of the series.
While Dune Messiah is yet to be officially confirmed by Warner Bros and it may be some
time before we see it, early progress is already underway on the next film with director Denis
Villeneuve confirming that his script is in production.
While I'm sure it will be a great adaptation like the first two instalments, we still leave
the second film speculating what could come next.
So in this video, I'm going to be discussing the ending of Dune Part 2 and what it could
mean for the next film , Dune Messiah.
This analysis will contain spoilers, so if you do happen to be someone who hasn't seen
the film yet or you don't want to know too much about the next film, then I would recommend
checking out one of my other videos instead.
Before I get into it though, if you want to keep up to date on any of my upcoming content
for Dune Part 2 and beyond, then don't forget to support this upload by giving it a like
rating, subscribing to the channel and turning on your notifications.
But without further a do, lets dive into the ending of Dune Part 2 and what could happen
in Dune Messiah.
As we reach the end of Dune Part 2 nears its end, important events happen in quick succession.
Timothee Chalamet's portrayal of Paul Atreides in the film showcases a remarkable transformation
as he ascends to become the new Emperor of the Known Universe.
This is made possible through his leadership of the Fremen people, who view Paul and his
mother Lady Jessica as integral figures in a prophetic tale that promises to bring about
a utopian paradise on the planet Arrakis.
The Bene Gesserit sisterhood, to which Jessica belongs, discovers that Paul is the fabled
Kwisatz Haderach, a male heir endowed with immense power to perceive the fabric of space
and time.
However, Paul's journey to this point is not without its sacrifices.
While residing among the Fremen with Jessica, Paul finally meets Chani, someone who has
been appearing in his visions.
Their connection blossoms into a love, and as Paul earns the respect of the Fremen, he
assures Chani that his love for her will endure.
Nevertheless, when Paul overthrows the emperor, he makes a political alliance by pledging
to marry the emperor's daughter, Princess Irulan.
This decision leaves Chani feeling angry and heartbroken, prompting her departure as she
prepares to ride a sandworm away.
Paul's rise to power does not come without opposition, as he acquires numerous adversaries
along the way.
And ultimately, it's revealed that the other Great Houses refuse to accept his authority,
leading Paul to initiate a holy war with the Fremen, in the aim of achieving the prophesised
Paradise.
Despite discovering his Harkonnen lineage after undergoing the water of life ritual,
Paul manages to eliminate a lot of House Harkonnen.
Additionally, Lady Jessica, who is pregnant with her daughter Alia Atreides, possesses
the ability to communicate with her unborn child due to the powers bestowed upon her
by the Water of Life.
In a vision of the future, Paul catches a glimpse of his sister, portrayed by Anya Taylor-Joy
in a cameo appearance, aligning with the timeline in Dune Messiah.
So what does this mean for that mentioned Dune Messiah film.
Well in particular, at the start of Messiah there's quite a big time jump.
Set 12 years after the end of the first novel, it showcases an ascended Paul as the Padishah
Emperor, having already laid waste to the other houses and countless lives across the
universe.
Due to his ability to foresee events, this particular outcome appears to be a more favorable
destiny compared to the alternative failed path.
The ongoing war sets the stage for a potential Dune Messiah film that could delve deeper
into Paul's holy war, shedding light on the actions he had to take to secure his position
as ruler.
The previous Dune movies hinted at this future, showing Paul defeating enemies in a vision
in the first film and suggesting that he would follow in his mother Lady Jessica's footsteps
among starving followers in the second.
Director Villeneuve's decision to avoid a 2-year time jump in Dune Part 2 suggests that
Messiah could align more closely with the timeline in the novels, allowing for a more
thorough exploration of the holy war.
While we do catch a glimpse of Anya Taylor Joy's Alia appearing slightly older in part
2, this could be a clue to Denis Villeneuve's approach to the timeframe of the next film.
The vision of Alia overlooking water on Arrakis might indicate that version of her is already
beyond the events of Messiah, meaning that the director might also shorten the 12-year
time jump at the beginning of the next story.
It remains to be seen how Villeneuve will handle this, but I think it's likely that
he will address aspects of the Holy War at the start of the next film, following its
setup in the conclusion of Part 2.
Moving on, a major departure in Dune Part 2's ending comes in the form of Zendaya's
Chani, who leaves Paul and the other Fremen behind.
Chani's departure in Part Two diverges significantly from the conclusion of the original Dune novel.
In the novel, Paul marries Princess Irulan for political reasons while keeping Chani
as his concubine.
Chani is saddened by this but Jessica attempts at making her feel better with a speech about
them as true wives.
In the film, Chani assumes a more active role, rejecting Paul's impending holy war regardless
of her love for him.
This alteration sets the stage for potential conflict between Chani and Paul in the future,
especially considering her changing perspective.
And it also remains uncertain whether the third film will follow the original story's
path of the couple pursuing children together.
One removed element from Part 2 is their unborn child, Leto II.
Tragically, the child is killed in his infancy by the Sardaukar and as we see in the film,
this is replaced by an attack on the north by the Harkonnens.
This is one of the reasons why he ultimately embraced the path of the prophecy, despite
initially refusing to journey south due to the fundamentalists.
His belief in the Fremen's triumph required him to take on the responsibility, as failing
to do so could have led to numerous Fremen casualties from Feyd's assaults and potentially
drawn the Great Houses into conflict without Paul having foresight.
But what's also possible is that this element of the story was removed in order to emphasize
the significance of Paul and Chani's later children, Ghanima and the other Leto II, who
make their debut in Messiah.
Paul was aware that Chani would not easily agree with him taking control of the situation,
but stated to his mother after taking the water of life that eventually she would comprehend
and come to realize.
I believe that, in a sense, Chani represents Paul's optimism in attempting to prevent or
at least lessen the impact of the Holy War.
Throughout the book, Paul is constantly striving to avert that catastrophe no matter what,
and this fundamental aspect of his character remains unchanged.
So I anticipate that Villeneuve will modify Chani's role in Messiah to symbolize Paul's
hope.
Paul understood that Chani's anger towards the false prophet would drive her to ultimately
seek liberation for her people, which is why the concluding scene focuses on Chani's fury.
Maybe Chani's part in Messiah will somewhat mirror Korba's role in the book, a Fremen
character who betrayed Muad'dib due to his disagreement with what happened.
Or an apsect that is at least loosely connected to that.
There are several elements in Messiah that differ from the original Dune book, particularly
in relation to the Fremen.
The book portrays a sense of dissatisfaction among some Fremen living in villages on Arrakis,
and they are weary after the war and indifferent to the changes happening around them.
Part 2 effectively establishes this scenario, highlighting the contrast between the southern
fremen who believe in the prophesy and the Northern Fremen who are less involved with
the religious perspective.
So imagine if part 2 began with Chani situated in one of these villages, and the residents
are tired of the war and uncertain about the changing landscape of Arrakis.
A significant event occurs in the village, prompting Chani to seek help from Paul.
And this could link in to that vision Paul had of 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 early
development, and really stress on conspiracy and manipulation of Paul and Chani.
That could work as a way in to Paul and Chani making up and the desperation of their situation.
I do think though that whatever route Villeneuve takes, that Paul and Chani's re-connection
will be somewhat driven by Chani having her and Paul's two children.
There's a way in to this, and I think Denis can use the events and character turns of
Chani's development in Part 2 to connect the dots come her general arc in Messiah.
When it comes to the opening of Dune Messiah, I think Villeneuve will most likely use this
to showcase the invasion of planets by the Fremen, including Planet Kaitan, Caladan and
Giedi Prime, showing the true spread of the holy war across that 12 year period.
Or based on whatever time jump the director does use.
I believe it will then delve into the conspiracy to assassinate Muad'dib and go even deeper
into exploring the concept of Messiahs, which Herbert intended to achieve with his work.
The outcome of the holy war leads to the deaths of more than 61 billion individuals throughout
the galaxy, and in the aftermath, Paul must navigate the onslaught of his political adversaries,
anticipating potential disaster at every turn.
At the same time, he must manage the complex dynamics of his relationship with Chani, his
beloved concubine, and Irulan, his political wife.
Therefore, if Dune is where the chosen one discovers his destiny, Messiah presents a
grim reversal of its haunting conclusion.
The novel delves into more peculiar aspects of the technology and society in Herbert's
envisioned future.
Alia is in a romantic relationship with Hayt, who is actually a revived Duncan Idaho.
And the Dune films did not fully delve into the Guild Navigators, individuals with precognitive
abilities who facilitate faster-than-light travel.
In Messiah, genetic clones and mimetic memory play a significant role, allowing deceased
characters to return through spectral voices or duplicates.
And additionally, there is a scene where Paul Atreides quantifies his kill count using Adolf
Hitler as a benchmark.
It's a tall order to balance out and make all of this work on the big screen, but with
Denis Villeneuve borrowing elements from Messiah to smoothen that transition, I think it promises
that we will at least get a solid conclusion.
While it will be difficult to adapt Messiah and things have to be changed again for that
to work, I believe that there is a way in through the established themes and ending
of part 2.
And while some book readers might not like the changing of things, like Chani's ending,
I think he's done so for the cinematic adaptation as a whole.
But that was my video discussing the Dune Part 2 ending and what it could mean for Messiah.
I think Denis Villeneuve will take the route that best fits his cinematic adaptation of
Dune, and while there are changes to be made to make that work on the big screen, I think
it is certainly possible.
He's clearly ended Part 2 in a way that can make those later events work, even if it's
slightly different, and when it comes to the main storyline, characters and themes of book
2, I think he will adapt them in a fitting way.
We'll have to see if he is able to pull it off and what route he takes, but for now we
can only predict what that could entail.
But what do you think towards the ending of Dune Part Two and what are your predictions
for how the director will approach the events in a Dune Messiah film.
Let me know your thoughts down below in the comments section alongside your overall reaction
towards the film.
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