Dune 3 is now in pre-production as Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi sequel prepares to start filming this summer

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It's almost time to go back to Arrakis

Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in Dune: Part Two
(Image credit: Warner Bros.)

Dune 3 is now in pre-production with filming set to kick off this summer, according to Deadline. A previous report from the publication suggested that production would start in June, but Deadline now says that mid to late summer is looking more likely.

The exact start date will depend on talent availability, with Chani star Zendaya having a particularly busy schedule this year. The actor is also filming the long-awaited third season of HBO's Euphoria, as well as Christopher Nolan's next movie The Odyssey and a fourth Spider-Man film with Tom Holland.

Denis Villeneuve's threequel will also see the return of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides. No casting information for Dune 3 has been officially confirmed yet, but we can expect Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem to reprise their roles from the first two movies.

Based on Frank Herbert's second Dune novel, Dune Messiah, the third film will be set a few years after the end of Dune: Part Two – 12 years, to be exact. In the book, Paul is now Emperor and has conquered most of the known universe, but billions of people have died as a result of his actions. This will be the last movie in the franchise for Villeneuve, as he's previously said that returning for more after that would become "unhealthy".

Emily Garbutt
Emily Garbutt
Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at GamesRadar+, covering everything film and TV-related. I help bring you all the latest news, features, and reviews, as well as helming our Big Screen Spotlight column. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.