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Dune 3 just got a new trailer, meaning that the film is racing towards us at light speed, so here's everything you should know about the threequel, officially titled Dune: Part Three. That's right, folks, Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi trilogy is one step closer to the end, and now we've had our first look at A-list stars joining the cast (including Robert Pattinson), and an epic galactic war taking over the plot.
Based on Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah book, Dune: Part Three will take us back to Arrakis. However, this new movie will look a little different to its predecessors. The events of the book take place over a decade after the original novel, so life will have changed quite a lot for Paul Atreides, Chani, and the rest of the Known Universe. There's a lot to unpack, with this timeline in mind as well as from all the behind-the-scenes footage and information that we know already. And that's why we've made a breakdown of it all.
Dune 3 release date
- The Dune 3 release date is December 18, 2026.
- Filming wrapped for the film on November 11, 2025.
- So far, production is on schedule, and no delays or release changes seem likely.
Dune: Part Three is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. The threequel began filming in mid- to late summer 2025, with production wrapping in November last year according to lead star Timothée Chalamet.
The film is arriving much sooner than we expected, probably because Denis Villeneuve decided that Dune 3 would be his very next movie. In early February 2025, he explained why: "I was expecting to do something else before, but frankly, that's the inspiration that came to my mind as I took a break this summer and was going back and finishing the story. I was really moved by the way Part Two was received by cinephiles around the world, and I felt an appetite and a desire to see more and a responsibility to finish that story."
Dune 3 plot speculation
- Currently, there is no official plot synopsis for Dune: Part 3, but it will be based on Frank Herbert's 1969 novel Dune Messiah.
- There will likely be a 12-year gap from the events of Dune: Part 2, where Paul Atreides is now the Emperor and rules most of the universe.
- We don't know what changes to the original story will be made yet, but since the novel is dense, we expect significant alterations.
Dune: Part Three does not have an official plot synopsis yet, but we do know it will be based on Herbert's novel of the same name. Most notably, the story features a 12-year gap from the events of Dune: Part Two.
Per the logline of the novel, Paul Atreides has ruled as Emperor for 12 years, and has conquered most of the known universe. However, the religious devotion he inspired has caused the death of 61 billion people across the universe. Oh, and, it's not called Dune Messiah like we thought...the film is officially titled Dune: Part Three.
Now that time jump seems like a tricky thing to navigate, and Villeneuve is not sharing his plans just yet. However, he told Vanity Fair previously with a succinct response: "That’s my problem. I know how to do that."
There are lots more interesting things that happen in Dune: Part Three, but in order to avoid spoilers, we won't go into those in depth here. If you want to know more about the exact plot details – that Dune 3 may or may not follow – read our breakdown of what might happen, according to the books.
Dune 3 cast
- Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh are all confirmed to be returning for the new Dune movie.
- Robert Pattinson is also now confirmed to star, and his role will be the character Scytale.
- A number of other A-Lister stars, such as Josh Brolin, Christopher Walken, and Jason Momoa, are expected to appear as well.
Excitingly, one major actor seems to be joining the cast of Dune: Part Three as the villain. Robert Pattinson was reported to be in talks to play Scytale in April 2025. He finally confirmed his casting in November.
Florence Pugh has also confirmed she'll be back as Princess Irulan, and Jason Momoa recently revealed he'll be returning as Duncan Idaho for the threequel. As you may remember, Duncan died in Dune, but he does make a reappearance in Dune: Part Three – or at least a version of him does.
Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Paul's mother Lady Jessica, confirmed that she would be back for round three, too. "I am in it. Small. Dip in and out, because I'm not in the books. So I wasn't reckoning on it," she told GamesRadar+. It looks like Josh Brolin's Gurney Halleck won't have a particular large role in the movie, either. "I'm in it, but I’m not there right now," he said of filming, referring to his reduced role. There are some new additions, too: Momoa's son Nakoa-Wolf and Silo's Ida Brooke have been cast as Paul and Chani's twins.
Dune is known for its incredible cast, and it seems far more likely that the director may have some ideas about ageing up his stars, rather than recasting. So, based on this, we predict that the cast will look like this:
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Robert Pattinson as Scytale
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
- Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
- Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho
- Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV
- Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring
- Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam
- Javier Bardem as Stilgar
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides
- Nakoa-Wolf Momoa as Leto II Atreides
- Ida Brooke as Ghanima Atreides
Is there a Dune 3 trailer?
Good news, we finally have a trailer for Dune: Part Three, which you can watch for yourself above!
The teaser came our way on March 17, 2026, and gave us our first look at Pattinson's villain Scytale. We also got to see some new scenery and teasers of some very intense battles. It's all very impressive, and I highly recommend watching it when you have the time. I'll also keep you updated as and when any more trailers drop in the future.
Is Dune 3 the final movie in the franchise?
- Dune: Part Three may not be the last Dune movie in the franchise.
- Dune: Part Three will be the last Villeneuve-directed movie, though.
- Currently, no fourth Dune movie has been announced.
Dune: Part Three has not been announced as the final movie in the Dune franchise, and Herbert does have several more novels that can be adapted. However, it will be the final movie helmed by Villeneuve.
The director has been adamant about this for a long time, and recently reiterated this in a new interview. Speaking to The Wrap, he was asked to confirm if this would definitely be his final movie. "Yes. After that, it would become unhealthy," he replied.
You can stream Dune now on HBO. Check out our guides to the best HBO movies and the best HBO shows to watch now.
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