One of the Best Composers of All Time Reunites with Denis Villeneuve for ‘Dune Messiah’

Hans Zimmer is apparently back in business for Dune Messiah. The info comes from Variety, reporting that Zimmer said during the premiere: “I just spoke with Denis… we’ve got something — we’re on our way”

Villeneuve and Zimmer are teaming up again for the third film in the series, which is based on Frank Herbert’s second novel, Dune Messiah. That story picks up several years after Dune: Part Two. Filming is expected to start in summer 2025 with release planned for December 2026.

Zimmer has been involved behind the scenes for a while now. He was actually writing music for Dune Messiah even before the script was locked, as Villeneuve quietly handed it to him to read, according to earlier reports.

At the same time, Zimmer also mentioned in recent interviews that although he’s confirmed for the film, he hasn’t started scoring it yet, noting it’s “a very complicated one.” That makes sense, the third story is much more complex and cerebral than the previous ones.

Hans Zimmer already scored both Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024), winning an Oscar for the first and crafting a wildly inventive sound by building new instruments and using unusual vocals. His music helped define the feel of the series, so his return is a big win for fans wanting continuity and epic emotion.

Zimmer was also at the center of the controversy as he was denied a nomination at this year’s Academy Awards for best original score (Dune: Part Two) because his score was not original enough, i.e., because it reused too much material from the first movie. While the composer kept silent about it most of the time, he finally gave a proper reaction to the whole affair.

In a discussion with Josh Horowitz on his Happy Sad Confused channel, Zimmer was very open about the disqualification. “You know something? It’s not really a sore point,” the composer explained, “It’s just such a stupid point — how can it be a sore point?“

He went on to explain how he thinks the whole rule is silly, but he did not want to be a drama queen about it, which was a very dignified way of approaching the whole situation.

“I got disqualified because I was using material from the first movie in the second movie, but it’s not a sequel. It is the completion, both movies are one arc,” he explained. “So was I supposed to go and take all the character themes away and write new character themes and develop them? It’s just a stupid rule. What I didn’t want to do is go and bitch about it.“

Zimmer was, of course, supported by his fellow crew and cast members, and while the composer acted very dignified in this situation, this will certainly remain as one of the Academy’s most controversial decisions down the road.

So, basically, Zimmer is officially back, he’s talking with Villeneuve, music plans are happening, and the film is moving forward. Dune Messiah seems to be taking shape, and Zimmer will likely bring the same bold, otherworldly sounds he’s known for. The world of Arrakis—and beyond—will sound even richer when the film lands in December 2026.

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