Denis Villeneuve says the screenplay is "mostly finished" for 'Dune: Part Two'.

The director will be at the helm for the highly anticipated sci-fi sequel - which is due to hit the big screen in October 2023 - and he revealed the team are in "prep" mode now that he has a script.

He told Collider: "The screenplay is finished mostly, but it's always a work in progress.

"It'll be a work in progress until final cut, but I will say it's solidified. I have a script in my hands.

"We are in prep right now... My crew, we are in full prep for the movie. And with the awards seasons, it's tricky.

"My brain is like, it's like two parts of my brain that don't connect together ... And I'm not complaining."

Meanwhile, Villeneuve revealed the sequel will build on the first movie - which starred the likes of Zendaya and Timothee Chalamet - by making "more" use of IMAX to enhance the scale of the production.

He explained: "Definitely. [Cinematographer] Greig Fraser and I, we fell in love with this format, and definitely there be — even probably more — IMAX footage in this movie. Definitely."

Meanwhile, 'Dune' writer Jon Spaihts has hinted at a third movie in the future, as he opened up on the "very rich world" in the cult sci-fi classic.

He recently said: "“I ended up getting moved off of it to work, not just on 'Dune: Part 2', but to investigate other cinematic prospects in the 'Dune' universe, which we are still talking about and which, again, I’m not allowed to say very much about. But it is a very rich world in which to play, and I think it is ripe with opportunities for storytelling in every direction.”

Asked if a third film is possible, he replied: "I think that’s right. There are a few tantalising strands that lead into the future and suggest that we might not be done in this universe, despite the fact that the ending of 'Dune' as a novel, which will be the ending of the second film, is a very satisfying conclusion.”