Even though Frank Herbert's Dune isn't set to air on the SCI FI Channel for another six weeks, there's even more Frank Herbert in the pipeline, and the people involved couldn't be more pleased.

The channel is so optimistic about its six-hour epic miniseries, set to air December 3-5, that it has already contracted writer-director John Harrison to create a sequel.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Harrison is pleased to get this chance to adapt Dune Messiah -- and possibly other volumes of the six-book Dune series as well -- for television.

"The Dune epic is really a wonderful tapestry," he told the entertainment trade journal. "And it would be great to see the whole thing play out."

While Harrison would like to get production underway as quickly as possible, the sequel won't be coming to television screens for awhile -- it took six months to write an adaptation of the first book, largely because he respects the source material so much.

SCI FI spokesman Andrew Heidel preferred to wait for the first miniseries to find its audience before commenting on a sequel.

"We are very excited about Frank Herbert's Dune especially because we are bringing a theatrical experience to 65 million homes in December," he told SPACE.com.