** WARNING SPOILERS ** Why Dune? Why now? Does the Dune movie fit the zeitgeist? Why will Villeneuve finish the trinity of films with Dune: Messiah? It is after all, almost completely action free, and would probably make a boring film. Dune Messiah was published either in 1969 (serialised) or 1975 (as a book). This is some years after the publication of the original 'Dune' novel in 1965. By 1976 the hippie revolution had been in full swing.