Well, here it is, our first trailer for Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune: Part Three,” which is being described as the “epic conclusion of the trilogy,” which has had its first two instalments nominated for best picture.
It’s quite interesting how Chani doesn’t appear much in the book “Dune: Messiah,” yet seems to play a key role in the story here. Robert Pattinson looks delightfully deranged as Scytale. The battle scenes are epic, and Hans Zimmer’s score is atmospheric. The trailer ends with Paul preparing for war. “I’m not afraid to die,” he says. “But I must not die yet.”
Per Variety, Villeneuve reveals that this third chapter takes place 17 years after the events of “Dune: Part Two.” A noticeable change from the novels, as the “Dune Messiah” book is set 12 years later.
It makes sense. In “Dune: Part Two,” Anya Taylor-Joy takes on the role of an adult Alia, even though she hasn’t actually been born yet and only exists in Paul’s visions. Because Alia becomes a central character in “Dune Messiah,” the films will have to advance the timeline significantly to make sure she is the correct age for the events of “Dune: Part Three.”
Though early reports had referred to the project as “Dune: Messiah”—a direct reference to Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel on which the film is based—Warner Bros. recently confirmed the film’s title would follow a more straightforward numerical approach. This further hints that Villeneuve could be tackling not just “Messiah,” but also parts of the third book, “Children of Dune.”
The big question is what he plans to adapt. Frank Herbert’s second book, ‘Messiah,’ is notoriously dense, slow-burning, and not exactly crowd-pleasing. Paul Atreides becomes a full-on tyrant, and the tone is far more meditative than the first two films. If Villeneuve stays faithful to the book, we’re in for a very different kind of movie — less spectacle, more political and spiritual disillusionment.
Greig Fraser, who was cinematographer on Villeneuve’s first two ‘Dune’ movies, is not returning for the third instalment. Fraser’s replacement will be the Oscar winning Sandgren whose most notable work can be seen in “La La Land,” and “No Time to Die.” He recently lensed Noah Baumbach’s “Jay Kelly” which is set for release later this fall.
‘Dune: Part 3’ is also being shot on film, including 15-perf 65mm (IMAX) and 5-perf 65mm formats. This switch to film marks a significant departure from the first two Dune instalments, both of which were shot digitally. As can be seen in the trailer, Villeneuve is going for a more organic aesthetic to close out his sci-fi trilogy.
“Dune: Part Three” stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Robert Pattinson, Isaach de Bankolé and Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, among others in key roles.
Both “Avengers: Doomsday” and “Dune: Part Three” are scheduled to open in theaters on December 18, 2026. That means two huge blockbusters are set to compete for screens and audiences on the same weekend, a matchup already being dubbed “Dunesday.”
