The only problem Denis Villeneuve has to overcome while adapting Dune: Messiah

Summary

• Dune: Messiah adaptation poses challenges due to its lack of action, focus on politics, and a darker, more introspective plot.

• Dune: Part Three may struggle with audience expectations for a blockbuster finale, devoid of high-octane spectacle.

• Villeneuve faces the task of portraying Paul Atreides' negative arc in a politically sensitive climate, risking controversy.

The upcoming adaptation of Duna: Messiah could be the most anticipated science fiction project in the near future. However, director Denis Villeneuve faces significant obstacles to overcome in bringing his grand vision to life, perhaps more than anyone else. Dune film or television program.

What is supposedly unfilmable Dune The novel was to be divided into two parts, with many details condensed or omitted. So it's understandable why to adapt Messiah of the dunes it could be equally or even more challenging. Frank Herbert's follow-up to his original science fiction novel presents its own set of complications. It's not just its massive size and sprawling length, but also its style and substance, that may be difficult to translate to the big screen.

Because it is Messiah of the dunes Difficult to adapt?

Less action, more politics

Duna: Messiah will likely complete an iconic trilogy comparable to classics like Star Wars, The Lord of the Ringsand more. However, the problem with using Messiah of the dunes as the source material for the third film is that it may not align with the studio's vision of a contemporary trilogy finale. Compared to the first part, Duna: second part leaned heavily on action rather than dialogue, so it's natural for audiences to expect all-out climactic battles in the third film. But fans of the book know that's not the case.

What happens inside Messiah of the dunes?

Messiah of the dunes picks up 12 years after Paul Atreides becomes emperor. Over 60 billion people died during his reign, yet Paul continues to justify these actions through his visions. His power grows to such uncontrollable levels that groups such as the Bene Gesserit and the Space Guild are forced to conspire to overthrow him.

Dune Messiah's lack of spectacle

Problem for the ending of the trilogy

The story of Messiah of the dunes it's a dark and introspective affair. Compared to the first book, which had clearly defined villains and dramatic moments like Paul riding a sandworm, this sequel is much less action-packed. Messiah focuses on palace intrigue, Paul's internal conflicts, and his descent into tyranny. There is little to no space for cinematic scenes. Even wars are mostly discussed as background events, of which only the consequences are felt later.

This would be a challenge for audiences expecting a high-octane show afterwards Part two. Instead of a blockbuster, they would have had a more thoughtful story about corruption, sacrifice, and the dangers of absolute power. If the lukewarm response to Dune: Prophecy taught us something, it's that this slow, dialogue-heavy tone doesn't have the impact Warner Bros. was probably hoping for.

It shows Paul Atreides' problematic arc

Cautionary tale against hero worship

Another big challenge that Villeneuve and his team of writers will have to overcome is how to represent Paul Atreides' negative arc in Duna: Messiah. Duna: second part has already shown that Timothée Chalamet's character begins to allow himself to be consumed by power. While the original Dune serves as a warning against hero worship, wrote Frank Herbert intentionally Messiah of the dunes to dismantle any misconceptions about Paul as a hero. He addressed this topic in a 1980 essay titled Dune Genesis:

This, then, was one of my themes for Dune: don't surrender all your critical faculties to people in power, no matter how admirable those people may seem. Beneath the facade of the hero you will find a human being who makes human mistakes. Huge problems arise when human errors are made on a large scale at the disposal of a superhero.

Potential political correctness issues

This sequel must fully commit to portraying Paul Atreides as a ruthless ruler who kills billions of people and justifies his actions in the name of a larger purpose. In fact, there's a key conversation with Stilgar in the book where Paul references real-life historical figures like Genghis Khan and Adolf Hitler to explain his reasoning. Such a scene would probably not translate well in today's socio-political and cultural climate. Also Dune: Prophecy he avoided controversy by not naming the Butlerian Jihad as it is called in the books, instead referring to the event as the Machine Wars.

The producers are unlikely to fully address these darker aspects of Paul Atreides' character. On the other hand, softening them or omitting them for public consumption would diminish his weight as an antihero. While modern audiences generally accept morally gray protagonists, Paul's journey from prophesied savior to genocidal ruler may be too extreme for many to handle.

Dune: Messiah could still be a masterpiece

A reward worth the risk

Not every major movie has to feature a big battle during the third act. Despite Messiah of the dunes being a largely political and religious story, there is still room for high stakes and menacing enemies. Additionally, the difficulty in adapting Paul's character development shows how great it is. If his story arc were portrayed perfectly, he could become an iconic achievement in cinema for deconstructing the hero archetype on this scale.

The best way to achieve this is to actually describe the war, to show parts of it, rather than starting the story after it has already happened, as in the book. Villeneuve had already done this in previous films by expanding elements of Dune that Herbert glossed over or relegated to the background. Peter Jackson did something similar The Lord of the Ringswhere he took relatively minor details from the books and turned them into epic scenes.

If anyone can do it, it's Denis Villeneuve. THE Blade Runner 2049 the director could still choose to take his own creative liberties and incorporate new elements of the Holy War to spice it up. Some consider the Messiah of the dunes novel to serve as an epilogue Dunewhile others see it as a complementary piece. However, it's up to Villeneuve to turn it into a unique franchise finale that balances both action and philosophy.