Original Dune 1984 Paul Atreides actor Kyle MacLachlan responds to the release of Denis Villeneuve’s epic blockbuster Dune 2.

Original Dune 1984 Paul Atreides actor Kyle MacLachlan responds to the release of Dune 2. Denis Villeneuve’s epic adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel is complete now that Dune: Part Two has hit theaters. Exceeding all reasonable expectations, the second half of Villeneuve’s two-parter has crossed the $600 million mark worldwide, keeping the Dune franchise alive 40 years after MacLachlan played Paul in 1984’s David Lynch-directed, box office flop version.

Forty years may have indeed elapsed since MacLachlan played the original Paul Atreides, but the actor remains an avid Dune booster, as he exclusively revealed to Screen Rant, responding to the release of Dune: Part Two. Check out his remarks below:

I haven’t seen it yet. I’m looking forward to it, the continuation of the story and to see kind of how they handle it. Yeah, I love the book Dune so much. So any opportunity to see that story revisited makes me happy.

Dune 3 Will Finally Depict Paul Atreides’ Full Journey, After Dune 1984 Fell Short

Lynch and MacLachlan only had one movie to tell the story of Paul Atreides and his rise to become the messianic leader of the Fremen. Because Dune 1984 was a box office flop, the door was slammed shut on their adapting Dune Messiah, the Herbert novel that truly completes Paul’s journey.

Thanks to Dune: Part Two’s unexpectedly large box office haul, Villeneuve will likely have the chance to outdo Lynch and extend the Dune franchise for at least one more film. The filmmaker indeed confirms that he is working on an adaptation of Dune Messiah, though he doesn’t intend for the third Dune to be his next film. Dune Messiah, it must be noted, has yet to be officially greenlit.

It’s yet to be seen how long it will take for Dune: Part Three to reach screens, but just the fact that it’s in the works is great news for MacLachlan and other fans of the books. Dune 1984 may have fallen short of capturing the full story of Paul and his epic adventures, but patience will seemingly pay off for those who love the world Herbert created, as the third pivotal chapter in Paul’s story makes its way to theaters, with Dune 2 mastermind Villeneuve getting the chance to complete Herbert’s original vision.