Dune: Messiah is on the horizon. Director Denis Villeneuve is looking to include another major star in its ensemble…and it’s a surprising addition.Villeneuve’s Dune saga has already portrayed itself as one of the greatest sci-fi film franchises of the decade and things are moving fast for Dune: Messiah. The filmmaker has assured fans that a high-standard script is in the works and almost completed. And if all goes according to plan, filming could start as early as this summer and fans return to the sand dunes of Arrakis for Dune: Messiah sometime in late 2026. The third film in the Dune trilogy will bring back many familiar faces, including Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides), Zendaya (Chani), and Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan). Even the dead might be resurrected, particularly Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho although in an unknown form and scale. Villeneuve, however, would not be returning for more after Dune: Messiah. The director has expressed that the later books in Frank Herbert’s series feel anticlimactic and diverge from the creative and thematic direction he envisioned for the saga.

Robert Pattinson Might Star In Dune: Messiah

From the Alleys of Gotham to the Dunes of Arrakis

As first reported by Deadline, Robert Pattinson is being eyed for a major role in Dune: Messiah. The Batman star would potentially be onboarded as the villainous Scytale, the shape-shifter who first appeared in Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune: Messiah. No offer has officially been made yet.

Scytale is reportedly going to play a major role in Dune: Messiah as he did in the source material. Fans may see him join Duncan Idaho’s ghola clone, named Hayt, as another Bene Tleilax genetically engineered creation aimed at overthrowing now-Emperor Paul Atreides. If indeed true, it would mark Pattinson’s third foray into blockbuster franchises, after his role as the talented Hufflepuff student, Cedric Diggory in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and as the Caped Crusader in Matt Reeves’ The Batman. The 38-year-old has what it takes to rhyme with the dunes of Arrakis. Brooding characters? His Bruce Wayne in The Batman is solid proof. As an A-list Hollywood actor, he’s more than bankable enough for a franchise as celebrated as Dune. He could follow in the footsteps of Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha, who became one of the most memorable antagonists in Dune: Part Two.

Till then, Pattinson will be a busy man. Fresh from the launch of Bong Joon Ho’s Sci-fi thriller, Mickey 17, and wrapping filming of A24’s The Drama and Die, My Love, the Brit is currently engrossed in shooting Christopher Nolan’s epic, The Odyssey. There’s also filming for The Batman: Part 2, which would possibly commence late this year as confirmed by the actor himself.

Sugarcoating itself with high-ranking Hollywood stars could be a good marketing strategy for Dune: Messiah. It may seem like the film has no need of one — the first two installments have earned a combined $1.124 billion at the box office — but Dune: Messiah has a political and religious tone that may not be box office-friendly.