Director Denis Villeneuve is hopeful of making Dune a trilogy and is teasing the possibility of “Part Three” coming alive.

“If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream,” Villeneuve told Empire. “Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning.”

On the third installment of the Dune film series, Villeneuve said, “I will say, there are words on paper.”

Dune: Part Three would be a sequel to Frank Herbert’s original novel Dune which was published in 1965. Dune: Part Two wraps up the story of Herbert’s novel and the potential third film would be based on Dune Messiah, which was published in 1969.

Villeneuve said that the third part would wrap up the franchise as after the first book sequel the other novels “become more… esoteric.”

Herbert would write other sequels in the Dune universe like Children of Dune, God Emperor of Dune, Heretics of Dune and Chapterhouse: Dune. The author’s son Brian Herbert would continue building the universe after Herbert’s death with a series of prequel novels.

When or if Dune: Part Three happens is up in the air. It was reported this week that Dune: Part Two was shifting its premiere from October to March 15, 2024 due to the ongoing strikes.

The Dune franchise stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem and Stephen McKinley Henderson. Joining the cast for the sequel are Florence Pugh, Lea Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Austin Butler and Souheila Yacoub.