Christopher Nolan gave Dune: Part Two a glowing review, but he also inadvertently highlighted the biggest problem Dune: Part Three will have to solve.

Christopher Nolan gave high praise to Dune: Part Two, but his glowing review also highlights a huge issue the franchise will face in Dune: Part Three. Dune: Part Two has been wildly successful at the box office, and the movie’s popularity has increased the excitement for the upcoming sequel Dune: Part Three. While everything from Dune: Part Two‘s cast to Denis Villeneuve’s directorial style has worked for the trilogy so far, Nolan pointed out that the next installment has a big hurdle to overcome.

Nolan’s review of Dune: Part Two is extremely high praise, as he is one of the most successful directors currently working. Nolan’s most recent film has continued his successful streak, as Oppenheimer won Nolan his first Best Picture Oscar and a total of seven Academy Awards. Dune: Part Two‘s director also thought Nolan’s praise was flattering, as Denis Villeneuve reacted to Nolan’s review by calling it “an incredible compliment.” One part of his review inadvertently raised some concerns about Dune: Part Three, though, and Nolan’s comparison could be too accurate.

Christopher Nolan Compared Dune 2 To The Empire Strikes Back (& He’s Partly Right)

One of the highest pieces of praise in Nolan’s review was when he likened Dune: Part Two to The Empire Strikes Back, the movie that many consider to be the best in the entire Star Wars franchise. While Dune: Part Two is more closely related to the Star Wars prequel trilogy due to its focus on a flawed Chosen One, Nolan was right to compare it to Empire Strikes Back. Both films took their respective stories in a much darker, bigger, and more complicated direction than the original, which ended up working immaculately. Unfortunately, the comparison may work beyond Empire Strikes Back.

If Dune 2 Is The Empire Strikes Back, Then Dune 3 Will Be Return Of The Jedi

The basis for Dune: Part Three will be Frank Herbert’s second novel, Dune Messiah, which could make it follow in Star Wars‘ footsteps with its sequel to Empire Strikes Back. Dune has always been a complicated series that focuses on incredibly complex politics and science fiction concepts, but Dune Messiah kicks it up a notch. The book’s story is much stranger and harder to follow than the story adapted in Villeneuve’s first two films. That would make Dune: Part Three very similar to Return of the Jedi, which was arguably the weakest link of the original Star Wars trilogy.

Return of the Jedi added controversial elements like Ewoks and unexpected twists like turning Leia’s once flirtatious relationship with Luke into a sibling bond. Return of the Jedi just didn’t perform as well as the first two movies, and Dune: Part Three could be at risk of following suit thanks to its source material. Dune Messiah introduced similarly strange concepts, like the ghola of Duncan Idaho, and difficult to follow twists, like Paul’s ability to see by relying entirely on his prophetic visions. The book’s complicated story could make for a messy adaptation and relegate Dune: Part Three to the lowest spot in Villeneuve’s trilogy.

Can Dune 3 Do What Return Of The Jedi Couldn’t & Beat The First Two Movies?

Movie
Rotten Tomatoes Critic Score
Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score
Domestic Box Office Opening

Dune
83%
90%
$41,011,174

Dune: Part Two
93%
95%
$82,505,391

Dune: Part Three has more than a few challenges to overcome that will make it difficult to outperform the first two films. A major problem is finding a way to turn its strange source material into a good enough adaptation to find wide popularity, but that isn’t the biggest issue. Dune: Part Three‘s biggest challenge is finding a way to be better than Dune: Part Two, since the most recent installment has been so successful. Dune: Part Two has been a critical, commercial, and cultural hit, so there is very little room for Dune: Part Three to surpass its predecessor.

That isn’t to say that Dune: Part Three can’t become the most beloved installment in the franchise, though. The next movie will be able to use the momentum Dune: Part Two generated, and will enjoy a larger audience because of it. Denis Villeneuve and much of the star-studded cast of the first films will also be returning, and their involvement is always a recipe for success. If any third installment of a trilogy can be its best, it’s Dune: Part Three.