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Summary
The upcomingDune Messiahfilm should not shy away from one of the most important concepts from the books, especially having left that concept unattended in the first two movies. Denis Villeneuve’s thirdDuneproject is the most anticipated sci-fi sequel in recent memory, and one mystery element must be unlocked to let the trilogy reach its full potential.
Adapting Frank Herbert’s iconic sci-fi novelsto the screen was undoubtedly a difficult test for Villeneuve. Regardless, he passed with flying colors, as evident from the critical and commercial success ofDune: Part OneandPart Two. However, some of the book’s ardent fans often point out that the filmmaker strayed away from the source material at times and did not include some key elements. One in particular is just as significant as the spice — probably even more so — and makes the whole universe function.
Will Dune Messiah Finally Show The Navigators?
Denis Villeneuve Can’t Hide The Spacing Guild Anymore
ForDunefans who have just watched the two movies released so far,the Spacing Guildand the strange Navigators who steer their starships may not ring a bell. However, they hold a lot of value inDunelore, not just in the original novels but also in the expanded books by Brian Herbert and Kevin J. Anderson. Simply put, space travel inDunewouldn’t exist without the Spacing Guild. The group has controlled space travel for 10,000 years, and without it, the Imperium wouldn’t function since trade between worlds depends on their approval.
WithDune Messiahaiming to shoot sooner than expectedthis summer, it’s about time Denis Villeneuve explored the Spacing Guild and the Navigators in full. Fans have been eager to get a glimpse of the Navigators, and if Villeneuve wants to stay true to the book, the third film can’t work without them, as they are essential to the story.Speaking toTheWrapmagazinein January 2025, Villeneuve shared his desire to start shootingDune Messiahright away:
I thought that I would want to go write a few films or do a couple of things before going back to Dune: Messiah. But the images that kept coming back to my mind, the appetite is absolutely intact.
DidDune: Part OneAlready Show a Navigator?
The Navigators have already made a blink-and-miss appearance in the firstDunefilm. During theCeremony of Change for House Atreides, representatives from the Spacing Guild are seen in Caladan, wearing white suits with orange visors. However, going by the book, they don’t seem to be fully formed Guild Navigators, as they still appear human-shaped and are likely in the transition process.
How Villeneuve Might Depict Them
Fans expect Villeneuve’s live-action depiction of a Navigator to resemble theheptapod aliens fromArrival— as vague human shapes floating in a tank. In fact, given Villeneuve’s love for theDunenovels, the Navigators may have even inspired his vision for his 2016 sci-fi classic. Moreover, the sameAcademy Award-winning production designersbehindArrivalare also responsible for designing both the sandworms and the Navigators inDune.
What Is The Spacing Guild InDune?
Dune MessiahExpands The Spice’s Power
Avoiding the Spacing Guild and the Navigators in the first two movies allowed for a more streamlined narrative.Introducing them inDune Messiah, meanwhile, would show how the rest of the empire conspires against Paul Atreides. The third film provides more room to explore the Guild’s role within the Imperium. Even in the originalDunenovel, the Spacing Guild is introduced, but not much is revealed about them.
However, as the series continues, readers learn about their significance and how they control the political and economic dynamics of the empire. Under CHOAM, the Guild partners with the Padishah Emperor, the Great Houses, andthe Bene Gesserit. They use massive starships called Highliners, which enable interstellar travel. However, these ships' engines cannot navigate safely through space on their own, and require Navigators for this purpose.
How Is Space Travel Possible In Dune?
Guild Navigators Depend On Spice
The Navigators of the Spacing Guild consumelarge amounts of spice melangeto gain a limited form of prescience. This allows them to foresee obstacles in space and safely guide ships. Due to their continuous spice usage, Navigators evolve into marine-like beings. They have webbed hands and feet, and remain submerged in tanks filled with spice gas. In truth, the Guild and the Navigators serve no one except the spice.
Dune Messiahis expected to introduce Guild Navigators like Edric, who plays a crucial role in the plot against House Atreides. In the book, he is described as an elongated, vaguely humanoid figure with fin-like feet, swimming in a tank of orange gas. It will be fascinating to see Villeneuve’s vision for these characters, and how it compares to their representation inDavid Lynch’sDuneadaptation from 1984.
The Spacing Guild’s Power Struggle
The Spacing Guild’s origins date back to the time ofthe Butlerian Jihad. After machine intelligence was outlawed, humanity had to find a new way to navigate space and enable interstellar travel. As a result, the Guild emerged alongside other organizations such as the Bene Gesserit, the Mentat Order of human computers, and the Suk Medical School. Over time, the Spacing Guild became entirely dependent on spice — and, by extension,the planet Arrakis.
Before Navigators existed, one in every ten ships never reached its destination. Canonically, at the end oftheDunenovel, Paul uses their spice dependency to his advantage, manipulating the Guild to secure victory over the Emperor. In the book, two early-stage Navigators attempt to negotiate with Paul, but he completely disregards them. This could have even worked as a Marvel-style post-credits scene to build up toDune Messiah.
