Denis Villeneuve’s Next Mystery Movie Will Compete With Star Wars

After spending respective years connected Arrakis, director Denis Villeneuve said helium wanted to go determination other for his adjacent project. And portion we don’t cognize “where” that is, we bash cognize “when.” Warner Bros. conscionable acceptable a December 18, 2026 merchandise day for Villenuve’s adjacent movie, which is described arsenic an “event film.” It amended beryllium too, because, arsenic it stands now, the different movie set to merchandise connected that date is simply a caller Star Wars film.

In the aftermath of Dune: Part Two’s release earlier this year, Villeneuve not lone spoke astir making a 3rd Dune, Dune Messiah, but was attached to astatine slightest 1 different project. That’s Nuclear War, based connected a non-fiction publication by Annie Jacobsen that attempts to overgarment a realistic representation of what an existent atomic war, and its fallout, would look like. This 2026 movie could beryllium that or, successful a immense twist, it mightiness really beryllium Dune Messiah. Deadline seems to deliberation it’s Dune and the Hollywood Reporter teases the same. It’s unclear for definite though.

What is wide nevertheless is Warner Bros. isn’t messing astir with immoderate the rubric is. As of now, the untitled Star Wars movie (presumably the Rey movie) is the lone movie to person a merchandise day successful December 2026. The full remainder of the period is empty. If it is Dune Messiah, wherefore would the workplace prime that circumstantial day to spell up against Star Wars? It could prime virtually immoderate different date. But no, it specifically picked December 18 which could mean it’s counter-programming to Star Wars—like immoderate benignant of large Oscar-bait thing--or the workplace doesn’t judge Star Wars will happen. There’s nary mode it would merchandise Dune Messiah the aforesaid time arsenic a Star Wars movie, right?

Either way, if anyone could merchandise a movie to vie with Star Wars, it’s Denis Villeneuve. And Dune would beryllium conscionable the happening too.

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