The first look into the final film of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune has arrived. The new Dune: Part Three trailer finds Paul Atreides (played by Timothée Chalamet) facing the consequences of his megalomania after waging a holy war at the coda of the previous film. It hits U.S. theaters, including IMAX and 70mm screens, on Dec. 18.
At the end of Dune: Part Two, Atreides launches a holy war, to the fear and disapproval of his Fremen love interest Chani (played by Zendaya). The Dune: Part Three trailer jumps nearly two decades into the future, where plots against Atreides bubble to the surface. Chani, shown pregnant in an early scene of the clip, is furious and leaves Atreides after his betrayal.
Jason Momoa returns as Hayt, a ghoula (a humanoid clone) of Duncan Idaho, Atreides’ deceased mentor from the first Dune. The duo engage in a sword fight while Atreides’ villainy is exposed. “You’ve conquered the galaxy. You’ve destroyed thousands of worlds,” Hayt tells him. “I think you’re way beyond redemption.” Hayt later heads to the Atreides throne to deliver a peace proposal that sounds simple enough, but he discloses that it will obliterate Atreides’ empire.
Later, the film’s villain, Scytale (played by a bleached-out Robert Pattinson), reveals his plans for a “regime change” to Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh). She berates his plot, but Scytale says he has a secret weapon — which may or may not be Chani and the Fremen, based on the scenes that follow.
The action is tenfold; there’s aerial warfare featuring lasers, sword fights that look straight out of Blade Runner, a blood-soaked and screaming Anya Taylor-Joy, and of course, an appearance from a massive sandworm, seemingly summoned by Chani. There are also appearances by what seems to be Leto II Atreides, Paul and Chani’s child, in his human/sandworm-esque form.
The third installment of Villeneuve’s Dune series adapts Frank Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah for the screen. Each Dune has been filled with a star-studded cast, and each film grows the roster. Part Three includes returning players Taylor-Joy, Pugh, Momoa, Javier Bardem, and many more. Pattinson joins the ranks, as does acclaimed Ivorian actor Isaach De Bankolé, who plays Farok, a disenchanted Fedaykin death commando (essentially, a former Atreides guard).
Villeneuve returned to direct the final film and co-wrote the screenplay with Brian K. Vaughan. Hans Zimmer is once again providing the film’s score.
The first Dune in Villeneuve’s trilogy was released in 2021; Dune: Part Two followed in 2024. The first screen adaptation of Herbert’s book series was directed by David Lynch in 1984, and starred Kyle MacLachlan as Paul Atreides.
Chilean-French avant-garde filmmaker Alejandro Jodorowsky attempted to make his own Dune in the Seventies, but failed to get it off the ground due to financial constraints and Jodorowsky’s refusal to edit his vision (this included a 10 to 14 hour run time).
