Dune 3: Robert Pattinson might play a key character in Denis Villeneuve film

Robert Pattinson's name is being linked to Dune: Messiah, the third instalment of the popular sci-fi franchise helmed by director Denis Villeneuve, as per reports. The role that the actor is attached to is said to be Scytale, a villainous character from the Frank Herbert book.

The actor hasn't signed the dotted line yet, but if the offer becomes final, he will likely play the principal antagonist opposite Timothee Chalamet's Paul Atreides.

Pattinson has turned into a hot property in Hollywood, working with big directors like Christopher Nolan (Tenet, The Odyssey), Matt Reeves (The Batman), Robert Eggers (The Lighthouse), Bong Joon-ho (Mickey 17), and Lynne Ramsay (Die, My Love), among others.

Recently, Villeneuve said he considered taking a break from the Dune films after making the second one and doing something else before moving on to the third film. However, the encouragingly positive reception to the second film inspired him to proceed with Dune: Messiah.

While doing a Q&A session with journalists at the Saturn Awards, Villeneuve spoke about getting his creative juices flowing once again for another 'Dune' instalment. "Chani's heart is broken; it's the beginning of the Holy War, which is where we left, so in a way, I'd say it's quite similar. I was expecting to do something else before, but frankly, that's the inspiration that came to my mind as I took a break this summer and was going back and finishing the story. I was really moved by the way Part Two was received by cinephiles around the world, and I felt an appetite and a desire to see more and a responsibility to finish that story."

Villeneuve mentioned in his earlier interviews that Dune: Messiah will pick up 12 years after the second film, but it's not quite clear if the director behind acclaimed thrillers such as Prisoners and Incendies would deviate from the book to make room for any new cinema-friendly story developments to make it more accessible to the Herbert purists.

The first film won six awards at the 94th Academy Awards, aside from four nominations in the same. The second got five nominations at the 97th Academy Awards (including Best Picture) and two nominations at the 82nd Golden Globe Awards (including Best Motion Picture – Drama).

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