Denis Villeneuve ends his Dune with Dune Messiah. It opens in German cinemas on 17 December 2026, in the original and dubbed, and was shot in part for IMAX.
Director: Denis VilleneuveBased on: Dune Messiah, by Frank Herbert
The story so far
The first two films in short, so the third makes sense. Spoilers for both.
2021
Dune
House Atreides is handed control of Arrakis, the desert planet that is the only source of the spice. It is a trap. The Harkonnens and the Emperor destroy the house and kill Duke Leto, and his son Paul and mother Jessica escape into the desert, where the Fremen take them in.
2024
Dune: Part Two
Paul lives among the Fremen and grows close to Chani. Seen by many as their prophesied messiah, he leads them against the Harkonnens, takes the spice, and forces the Emperor from the throne. As he seizes power, a holy war begins to spread across the galaxy in his name.
2026
Dune: Part ThreeThis film
Villeneuve adapts Dune Messiah, set years after Paul took the throne. As emperor he faces the cost of the war waged in his name, and a conspiracy closing in with Chani at its centre. He has said this is where he ends the story.
Trailer
Who is in it
Timothée Chalamet
Paul Atreides
Zendaya
Chani
Florence Pugh
Princess Irulan
Rebecca Ferguson
Lady Jessica
Jason Momoa
Hayt
Anya Taylor-Joy
Alia Atreides
Charlotte Rampling
Reverend Mother Mohiam
Isaach de Bankolé
Farok
What we know so far
Length
about 2 h 20 min, not yet final
Filming locations
Wadi Rum (Jordan), the Liwa Desert (Abu Dhabi), Origo Studios (Budapest)
Filmed
July to November 2025
Camera
65 mm film and, for the first time in the series, IMAX film cameras
IMAX
71 minutes of IMAX, select sequences in 1.43:1
Music
Hans Zimmer
Cinematography
Linus Sandgren
The listed length would make it the shortest of the three films, though the figure is not final. Greig Fraser shot the first two; Linus Sandgren took over for the finale, and Robert Pattinson joins as the villain Scytale.
How to see it
IMAX and premium formats
Villeneuve shot major sequences with IMAX cameras, as he did for the first two films. Our guides list the cinemas built for the largest screens.