Denis Villeneuve has started work on a third ‘Dune’ movie.

The 57-year-old director helmed the 2021 sci-fi blockbuster and its sequel ‘Dune: Part Two’, and has now revealed he is currently immersed “deep” into novelist Frank Herbert’s space fantasy universe as he continues to work on the third instalment, even though he initially thought he would be stepping back from the series for a time to focus on other projects.

He told Deadline: “Let’s say that I thought that after ‘Part Two’ that I will take a break, that I will go back in the woods and stay in the woods for a while to recover. But the woods weren’t really suiting me, and I would go back behind the camera faster than I think. But that’s all I can say.”

Villeneuve revealed he was “in the writing zone right now”, though made an effort not to call the film ‘Dune: Part Three’.

He explained the first two movies felt like “one entity” to him, and added: “It’s a movie made in two parts. It’s finished, it’s done.”

The third instalment will be based on Herbert’s second novel in the franchise ‘Dune: Messiah’, and will follow Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) 12 years into his reign as emperor of the known universe as the religious sect he created around himself begins to spiral out of his control.

The filmmaker added he wanted to “do something completely different” with the upcoming blockbuster, while also sticking to the general story beats of Herbert’s book.

Villeneuve explained: “Like Herbert did with 'Dune: Messiah’, I think it’ll be a great idea to do something completely different. The story takes place like 12 years after where we left the characters at the end of ‘Part Two’.

“Their journey, their story is different this time, and that’s why I always say that while it’s the same world it’s a new film with new circumstances.”

As well as Chalamet, the director confirmed Zendaya, Florence Pugh and Anya Taylor-Joy would be reprising their respective roles in the film, and hinted audiences could expect to see the movie in 2026.

The filmmaker said: “They have to return. They are with the main cast when it happens. And more worms. What can I say?”