Denis Villeneuve’s next movie will be released in 2026. Will it be “Dune 3”?

Denis Villeneuve

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Denis Villeneuve’s next feature is getting a holiday release, though it’s uncertain what that project will ultimately be.

Warner Bros. announced Friday that the director’s next “event film” will hit theaters on Dec. 18, 2026, and that it will be produced by Legendary Entertainment, the home of his works. Sand dunes films.

Plot details haven’t been shared yet, but Villeneuve, who recently directed Dune: Part TwoIt was previously mentioned that the third Sand dunes It likely won’t be his next film. He has a nuclear war movie in the works at Legendary, but sources say Villeneuve may have changed his mind and could turn his attention back to Sand dunes. Legendary could not be reached for comment.

Warner Bros. also announced that an untitled MonsterVerse film from Legendary is set to hit theaters on March 26, 2027. In a double move, a Locksmith Animation film project that was slated for that date has been removed from the studio’s calendar. The latest MonsterVerse film is being directed by Grant Sputore, replacing Adam Wingard.

Dune: Part Two The film was released in theaters in March and grossed more than $700 million at the global box office. Starring Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Austin Butler, the film is based on the work of author Frank Herbert and focuses on Paul Atreides (Chalamet), who works with Chaney (Zendaya) and the Freemen family after the devastating events that befell his family.

During an interview with Hollywood Reporter At a time Sand dunes Following the release of the sequel, Villeneuve has been cagey about what he might work on next and noted that he currently has four projects on the table. He said there was no potential delay in starting to adapt Hibbert’s 1969 novel Sand Dunes Christ For the third film it would be “making sure I have the right script.”

Villeneuve added at the time that he might want to work on a project he considered more time-sensitive “before processing Christ Dunes“

The latest entry in the MonsterVerse series is Godzilla x Kong: The New EmpireWingard’s “The Last Hour,” which hit theaters in late March, has grossed $567 million at the worldwide box office.

– Boris Keat contributed to this story.