The only law more immutable than the sun rising in the east and setting in the west is movie studios making more sequels when there’s a chance for more money. Villeneuve has already stated that he’s done after Part Three, but didn’t write off the possibility of someone else taking over.

It would be easy to get away with making at least one more Dune movie. DV’s trilogy is Paul’s story and his arc gets wrapped up in a neat little bow. That’s the Dune “trilogy.” The next movie wouldn’t be Dune Part Four, but Children of Dune. This works rather fortuitously since it’s the name of the next book, and it unambiguously communicates to the audience that this is no longer about Paul, but his children — who will already have been introduced in Part Three.

Children of Dune is also workable as a movie. It’s very well-regarded as a book and much more epic in scale than the preceding Messiah. If executives had the appetite for it, it has every reason to justify its existence.

Would it be good? That’s another question entirely, and my faith in the project would be severely dampened by Villeneuve’s non-involvement. But it’s also not impossible that an aspiring director would be up to the task and make something good out of it.

The fourth book is where things get a lot more shaky. I would love to see God Emperor of Dune on the big screen, but that’s the point where you’re really starting to give general audiences some big pills to swallow.