Timothée Chalamet Says Paul Atreides Has Become ‘His Worst Vision’ in 'Dune: Part Three'
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Erica Gonzales, Lauren Puckett-PopeWed, April 15, 2026 at 6:17 PM UTC
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Dune: Part Three Plot Points Revealed at CinemaConDavid Jon - Getty Images
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Spoilers for Dune: Part Two below.
If you’ve already seen Dune: Part Two, a question at the top of your mind (besides where can I find a sandworm popcorn bucket?) might be: So, what comes next?
It’s a fair thought after watching this epic chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi saga. Based on Frank Herbert’s ’60s sci-fi novel Dune, Part Two continues the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) with a thrilling sequel that follows him becoming one with the Fremen, falling in love with Chani (Zendaya), avenging his father, and stepping into his role as the Lisan al-Gaib.
There’s still so much to explore on the planet of Arrakis and beyond. Next in line for adaptation is Dune Messiah, the second book in Herbert’s series, on which Villeneuve has already begun pre-production work. Herbert wrote six books in the original series, and there are still dozens more set in the Dune-iverse. However, even in IP-heavy Hollywood, Villeneuve doesn’t want to lead the Dune franchise beyond the third (and supposedly) final film installment, solidifying the chronicle of Paul Atreides’s rise (and fall).
Here’s what we know about a third Dune film so far.
When will Dune: Part Three come out?
The movie will be released on Dec. 18, 2026. Warner Brothers confirmed the news in March.
Who will be in the cast?
Timothée Chalamet is set to return as Paul Atreides, the titular messiah; Zendaya as Chani; and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica.
On June 17, 2025, Deadline announced two new cast members: Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, the 16-year-old son of Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet, and Ida Brooke (Silo). Momoa and Brooke will play Leto II and Ghanima, Paul and Chani’s twins.
Robert Pattinson revealed his participation in the series in a Nov. 3, 2025 interview with IndieWire. “When I was doing Dune it was so hot in the desert that I just couldn’t question anything,” and, “it was so relaxing, like my brain actually wasn’t operating. I did not have a single functioning brain cell. And I was just listening to Denis: ‘Whatever you want!'” The Batman star is playing the villain role of Scytale.
By March 17, 2026, several castings were confirmed. Anya Taylor-Joy—who was teased at the end of the second Dune movie—was revealed to be joining the cast as Alia, Paul Atreides’s younger sister. Javier Bardem returns as Stilgar, while Florence Pugh and Momoa will reprise their roles as Princess Irulan and Duncan Idaho, respectively. Isaach De Bankolé joins the cast as Farok.
Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan.NIKO TAVERNISEWhat will Dune: Part Three be about?
According to the book’s synopsis: “As Emperor of the known universe, [Paul] possesses more power than a single man was ever meant to wield. Worshipped as a religious icon by the fanatical Fremen, Paul faces the enmity of the political houses he displaced when he assumed the throne—and a conspiracy conducted within his own sphere of influence. And even as House Atreides begins to crumble around him from the machinations of his enemies, the true threat to Paul comes to his lover, Chani, and the unborn heir to his family's dynasty...”
The next potential film seems to be headed in that direction. (Warning: More spoilers ahead!) The end of Dune: Part Two sets up Paul’s reign as emperor. After an epic battle alongside the Fremen, he kills Vladimir Harkonnen, avenging his father, and defeating Vladimir’s nephew Feyd-Rautha in combat for the throne. He offers his hand in marriage to Princess Irulan, the emperor’s daughter, much to the chagrin of Chani, his Fremen love. She’s not the only one upset by his decision; the Great Houses are approaching to attack and reject Paul’s claim for emperor. The holy war he had seen in his dreams is taking shape.
Keep in mind, too, that Paul’s mother Lady Jessica—now a reverend mother—is about to give birth to a daughter. It was also revealed in the film that Lady Jessica is of Harkonnen descent, and therefore so is Paul.
Before the credits roll, Chani appears alone in the desert, ready to hitch a ride on a sandworm, fighting back tears. It’s possible that she might also have a strong role in the resistance to Paul’s authority in the next film, as she already starts to show her disapproval of his rise to power in Dune: Part Two. She tries to warn her people that revering messianic figures are how those in power “enslave us.”
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As Villeneuve told Entertainment Weekly, “In [Frank Herbert’s] mind, Dune was a cautionary tale—a warning against charismatic figures. He felt that Paul was perceived as a hero, when he wanted to do the opposite. So in order to correct that, he wrote Dune Messiah, a kind of epilogue that makes it very clear this story is not a victory; it’s a tragedy.” The director added that he “used Chani’s character” to help express Herbert’s intentions with the book. “I gave her a different agenda, and used her to bring a different perspective to the story.”
In an IMAX special reveal event, Villeneuve said that the movie has “a time gap, 17 years, where we see Paul dealing with the consequences of having too much power and him trying to figure out how to get out of this cycle of violence. And of course he’s an emperor who can see the future, so he’s kind of invincible.”
Zendaya also revealed during the event that Chani and Irulan will likely have more scenes together in the new movie. “I want to start by saying I love Florence Pugh — so talented, so wonderful in this role. And we said the last time, on the press tour, we only got one scene together and we were far away. And I was like, ‘I hope we get more.’ So I don’t want to tease anything, but she’s absolutely phenomenal. And you guys will just have to see for yourselves what happens because it’s quite the journey.”
What has the cast said about the movie?
During the cast’s appearance at CinemaCon in April 2026, Chalamet said Paul has “become his worst vision and he’s struggling to… figure out how to protect those he loves while becoming the all-powerful dark emperor of the universe,” according to Deadline.
“The years don’t seem to have been kind to anyone in Dune. [It’s been] a really difficult, challenging, ungentle and unkind few years,” though there’s “so much left still to fight for,” Zendaya added. She also noted that Chani is “at a very different place in her life where that youthful outlook is completely gone.”
Villeneuve, meanwhile, explained that the movie is “a very different world” where Atreides’ “nightmares became reality” and he’s left to face “the consequences of his decisions.” He also described the third Dune film as “a redemption story, but still the heartbeat of the film is that love story between Chani and Paul, [albeit] more of a broken love story.”
The director told the crowd that it was “emotional to say farewell to Paul and Chani in the desert. We became like a small family. It’s like 10 years of our lives,” and Chalamet called Villeneuve “the real Paul Atreides.”
Is there a trailer?
Yes! The trailer for the movie arrived on March 17, 2026. In it, Chalamet and Zendaya’s characters excitedly await the arrival of their baby and brainstorm names depending on the sex of the child. The rebellion evolves into an all-out war with new players—including a platinum blonde Pattinson—and new stakes.
With the release of the trailer, Warner Bros. also shared several first-look photos of the upcoming movie.
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Deadline detailed the first seven minutes in the film during its April 2026 CinemaCon report, and said it features “Fremen ships sailing through dark, gray, foggy air, crashing down on a planet where it’s raining. They chant and say “God be with us” before heading into battle. Lasers fly at them, obliterating many.”
Another scene in the movie, according to the outlet, features “Momoa’s Duncan Idaho tells Chalamet’s Paul Atreides he’s ‘way beyond redemption’ after becoming a destroyer of worlds.”
Will there be any additional Dune movies after Part Three?
Although there are six books in Frank Herbert’s series, and plenty of additional spin-offs, Villeneuve only has a desire to create three films. “Dune Messiah should be the last Dune movie for me,” he confirmed to Time in an interview published in January 2024.
He’d also told Empire in August of that year, “If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream.” In the time since Villeneuve’s comments, a spin-off series titled Dune: Prophecy, which follows the Bene Gesserit, arrived on HBO Max in November 2024.
Watch Dune on HBO Max
Additional reporting by Starr Bowenbank.
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