Upcoming sci-fi sequel Dune: Part Two will not necessarily bring the epic franchise to an end, with writer Jon Spaihts revealing that it will leave the door open for a third movie. Speaking with The Playlist, Spaihts even suggested that, in the end, there could be up to seven installments in the Dune franchise when all is said and done.

Frank Herbert wrote a total of six novels in the Dune series, Dune (1965), Dune Messiah (1969), Children of Dune (1976), God Emperor of Dune (1981), Heretics of Dune (1984), and Chapterhouse: Dune (1985), and according to Jon Spaihts, Dune director Denis Villeneuve is hoping to at least cover Dune Messiah as an end to his prospective trilogy.

“Yes. Frank Herbert wrote six novels, I believe, with a seventh partially completed upon his death that was completed [posthumously] by his son.”

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Delving even deeper into its central themes, many of which bear a stark similarity to contemporary issues, a third Dune movie based on Dune Messiah would also feature more of the character Princess Irulan, who is reportedly due to be played by Florence Pugh in Dune: Part Two.

“‘Dune Messiah’ is the next book, and it’s one of three books with ‘Dune,’ ‘Dune Messiah,’ and ‘Children of Dune,’ that covers the lives of the characters we meet in the first novel. Subsequently, there’s a giant leap in time and the series gets stranger and more epic as it carries on. But ‘Dune Messiah’ picks up years after the close of ‘Dune,’ and yes, Denis has talked seriously about making that film as well, as a conclusion of the trilogy. ‘Dune Messiah’ is a very interesting book, which in some ways, deconstructs Dune and plays as a cautionary tale, even more than Dune does, about the dangers of blending religion and politics, the hazards of following charismatic leaders, and the dangerous struggle that’s always alive between the individual and institutions.”

Dune Part Two Will Act as an Ending While Hinting at More to Come

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Writer Jon Spaihts did assure Dune fans, though, is that the upcoming sequel will act as an ending of sorts, completing the story told in the novel and which was begun with last year’s Dune: Part One. It will simply leave the door ajar for more.

Starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, Dune: Part One was well-received by both critics and audiences alike.

“There are a few tantalizing strands that lead into the future and suggest that we might not be done in this universe, despite the fact that the ending of ‘Dune’ as a novel, which will be the ending of the second film, is a very satisfying conclusion. There are a number of ways in which the book also sounds ominous notes, and there are hints of foreboding about what made be yet to come.”

Dune: Part Two is set for release on October 20, 2023.