Denis Villeneuve, the director behind the critically acclaimed “Dune” films, recently clarified his plans for the third installment, “Dune: Messiah.” Speaking on Vanity Fair’s “Little Gold Men” podcast, Villeneuve made it clear that “Dune: Messiah” is not intended to conclude a trilogy but will instead stand as a unique, standalone film with its own distinct narrative.

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While “Dune: Part Two” covers the second half of Frank Herbert’s first novel, “Dune: Messiah” is based on the second book in the series, set 12 years after the events of the first. This time jump may require aging up key characters like Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and Zendaya’s Chani—an adaptation challenge Villeneuve feels prepared to handle.

Villeneuve also reiterated his intention to end his involvement with the Dune franchise after “Messiah.” He has expressed his openness to other directors continuing the series, noting that the later books become increasingly complex and esoteric.

Zendaya, who plays Chani, has shown strong support for Villeneuve to continue helming the franchise. However, the future of the “Dune” series beyond “Messiah” is uncertain, especially without Villeneuve at the helm.

Currently, both “Dune” and “Dune: Part Two” are available for streaming on Max. Fans can look forward to more updates on “Dune: Messiah” and what might come next for the epic saga.