Would you watch? dune if it had a completely different cast and director? Because that seems to be exactly the case.

Multiple sources have reported rumors that Warner Bros. and Legendary already have plans to expand the Dune franchise beyond the Denis Villeneuve trilogy. Jordan Ruimy reports that “a contact close to the Quebec filmmaker told me in the fall that Villeneuve was quite ‘upset’ about these possible plans to expand the franchise with or without him.”

Daniel Richtman’s report hints at a “new show and fourth film.”

Will Denis, Timotheé, Zendaya and others return?

I would imagine that’s not the case. Denis is one of Hollywood’s most sought-after filmmakers. He already has the historical epic Cleopatra in pre-production. He has signed up for an adaptation of Arthur C. Clarke’s work Rendezvous with Rama. And Denis has already signed a contract to dramatize the non-fiction book Nuclear War: A scenario. Once Paul Atreides’ story is told, Villeneuve is likely to move on.

And you could expect the same from Timotheé Chalamet, Zendaya and Florence Pugh. One of the reasons they all signed up dune Firstly, because they had the opportunity to work with Denis. But they are all rising stars who can choose their projects. Zendaya and Pugh are already deeply entrenched in the MCU. Commitments to another expansive, infinite universe do not seem realistic.

Children of Dune is the next book in the Dune series Messiah. No spoilers, but some characters from the first three films play key roles Children of Dune. So maybe we’ll see a recast? Especially since almost a decade passes between the novels.

Dune appears to be the next big expanded universe

In the ’90s, studios lived and died by blockbusters. In the ’00s, the strategy shifted to tentpole franchises. Not just a film, but a trilogy (Lord of the rings). Not just a trilogy, but a whole series (Harry Potter). Then the Marvel Cinematic Universe turned the 2010s into a race for expanded universes. And we are still there.

Streaming is an important part of the expanded universe concept. If a studio can have a successful film universe, they hope to translate that into a successful TV series (or more) that will attract new subscribers to their platform. The penguin, Dune: Prophecyand what lies ahead Harry Potter Remake are all examples from Warner Bros. Prime Video tried this Rings of power. FX had success with Fargo. Disney has the Marvel and Star Wars series.

The Dune series is so rich in lore and potential that Warner Bros. could make it their Star Wars. Although her first attempt, Dune: Prophecyhas received mixed reviews overall. Metacritic ratings are 64 from critics (low end of positive) and 5.4 from users (mid-range). But the studio renewedprophecy for a second season.

That’s the thing with universes like Dune and Star Wars. They are so full of stories that if one doesn’t find an audience, you move on to another. It makes sense why Warner Bros. is so high on the franchise.