Denis Villeneuve is heading back to Arrakis with his next movie, officially titled Dune: Part Three. The film adapts Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah but skips the subtitle and sticks with a simple numerical title.
Warner Bros. and Villeneuve confirmed the news as production gets underway.
"…on a journey into that land where we walk without footprints."
— DUNE (@dunemovie) July 8, 2025
Production has begun on the next film in Denis Villeneuve's Dune trilogy.
📷 Denis Villeneuve
📍 Arrakis pic.twitter.com/JYP8ShbrRx
Villeneuve Returns to Arrakis
Dune: Part Three picks up where Part Two left off, following Paul Atreides as he rules as emperor. Early rumors called the movie “Dune Messiah,” but the studio settled on a straightforward title, hinting this might not be the final Dune movie or a straight adaptation of the second novel.
Denis Villeneuve has said before that Dune and Dune: Part Two form a complete adaptation of the first book. For Villeneuve, this next movie is something different. While it adapts Messiah, it could also touch on Children of Dune, the third book in the series. Supporting that theory, new cast members Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke are playing Paul and Chani’s children, Leto II and Ghanima—characters from Children of Dune. This means Part Three likely includes a time jump beyond Messiah.
Filming with IMAX Cameras
Like the previous films, Dune: Part Three will include sequences filmed with IMAX cameras. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond recently suggested the entire movie would be shot in IMAX, but that was an exaggeration. Legendary and Warner Bros. have not confirmed that claim, and reports state the film will mix IMAX with traditional formats.
IMAX has been a big part of Dune’s success. Villeneuve’s large-scale visuals helped make Part Two a box office hit, and Part Three will follow that approach.
Returning Cast and New Additions
Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya return as Paul Atreides and Chani. Jason Momoa also returns as Duncan Idaho, a character absent from Part Two but expected to play a larger role in the next chapter. Robert Pattinson is rumored to be Scytale.
Production is now underway in Budapest. Timothée Chalamet has been spotted recently with a shaved head, showing a visual change for Paul as he continues his transformation as emperor.
Timothee Chalamet's fans convinced he's hiding bold new look on Kylie Jenner outing https://t.co/hpcP6kNb7K
— Daily Mail Celebrity (@DailyMailCeleb) July 8, 2025
Release Date
Dune: Part Three is scheduled to hit theaters in December 18, 2026.
