'Dune: Part Three' already looks like a masterpiece
Just days after the 2026 Academy Awards, the first trailer for the conclusion of Denis Villeneuve's 'Dune' trilogy has put the film firmly in contention for next year's Best Picture
By Cayle Reid
TIMOTHÉE CHALAMET may have come home empty handed from the 98th Academy Awards and be suffering through a potentially generational aura loss following his comments about ballet and opera, but the actor’s mourning period hasn’t lasted long. The first trailer for Dune: Part Three released overnight, and it’s everything we hoped for.
After the heady climax of Dune: Part Two, which saw Chalamet’s Paul Atreides defeat Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkkonen Austin Butler for the imperial throne while kicking off a universe-altering Holy War, it was clear (to both those who have read the books and those who haven’t) that dark times lay ahead. While Denis Villeneuve has gone in some different directions than the books in the past, the trailer seemingly confirms that Dune: Part Three will indeed go down the expected path of the Lisan al’Gaib’s descent into messianic despotism. We’ve also gotten our first look at Robert Pattinson as Tleilaxu Face Dancer Scytale, and seen the return of Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho – which will surely confuse fans who haven’t read the book.
Watch the first teaser trailer for Dune: Part Three below and read on for everything you need to know about the third film in Denis Villeneuve’s blockbuster trilogy.
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What will Dune: Part Three be about?
Given that the film is an adapatation of a book released more than 50 years ago, we do actually have a pretty good idea of how Dune: Part Three will play out. Spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn’t read the source material: the film will presumably take place after the Holy War, as Paul has cemented his place as the Padishah Emperor while also letting the spice flow through him a little too freely. Sorry if you were expecting this to be an action-packed war film, but the book doesn’t dwell on the details of the Holy War itself for very long. Although, with the trailer showing some battle scenes, we suspect that a series of time jumps may be involved to help bridge the gap between the conclusion of Dune: Part Two.
As a group of enemies plot to overthrow Paul, Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, and Anya Taylor-Joy (who played Princess Irulan, Lady Margot, and the future version of Paul’s unborn sister Alia in Part Two) are all expected to have bigger roles. That’s where Robert Pattinson’s transhuman Scytale comes in, as one of the key cogs in the conspiracy. Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho is back – well, at least it’s a reanimated version of him – but Paul is unsure of whether he can fully trust the clone who wears his former swordmaster’s skin. Meanwhile, Zendaya’s Chani has stuck around after being pretty ticked off by Paul’s decision to take Princess Irulan as his bride of convenience in the Dune: Part Two finale. She will again play a key role as she’s expecting to bear Paul’s heir – which, as revealed by the trailer and the book 50 years ago, will result in twins.
Who is in Dune: Part Three?
Dune: Part Three will see a number of new characters join the cast, as well as the return of one who was killed in the original Dune. Robert Pattinson is the big headliner. He’ll be playing Scytale, a Tleilaxu face dancer and the primary antagonist with the ability to shift their face to disguise themselves as just about anyone.
Jason Momoa returns as Duncan Idaho, but he’s not really Duncan Idaho. Your memory hasn’t failed you, Idaho did indeed perish in Dune, but the Tleilaxu have a talent for cloning and recreating beings from minimal DNA strands, which is exactly what they’ve done with Idaho. Ida Brooke and Nakoa-Wolf Momoa (yes, Jason’s son) also join the cast as Paul and Chani’s twins, Ghanima and Leto II. The twins are born at the end of the book, ‘Dune: Messiah’, but the casting of a pair of teenaged actors to play them suggests they may be born earlier in the film, or that we’ll get another time jump.
The rest of the cast are returning from Dune: Part Two, but some will get larger roles this time around. We do expect Anya Taylor-Joy to get more than 30 seconds of screentime this time around. See the full cast below.
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho
- Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides
- Robert Pattinson as Scytale
- Javier Bardem as Stilgar
- Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot
- Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
- Nakoa-Wolf Momoa as Leto II Atreides
- Ida Brooke as Ghanima Atreides
- Isaach de Bankolé as Farok
- Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam
When will Dune: Part Three be released in Australia?
Dune: Part Three is set for release in Australia on December 17, 2026. Those hoping for a repeat of Barbenheimer will be ecstatic to know that Avengers: Doomsday will come out on that very same day, which is already being dubbed ‘Dunesday’.
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