Dune: Part Three is on the way — and with a release date in tow. Denis Villeneuve is back in the director's chair for the next installment in the sci-fi franchise, which is coming much sooner than we expected.
Based on Frank Herbert's sequel novel Dune Messiah and set over a decade after Dune: Part Two, the upcoming epic sci-fi drama has made the list as one of our most anticipated upcoming movies. Official details are still thin on the ground at this point, but we do know which cast members are returning, and which new actors are making a surprising appearance...
With that in mind, we've compiled a complete guide to Dune 3, from our best prediction for the movie's release date, the lowdown on which cast members have confirmed their involvement, and some key plot details. For even more, head to our guide on the year's most exciting movie release dates or our roundup of the best sci-fi movies on Netflix.
Dune 3 release date speculation
Dune: Part Three is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. The threequel began filming in mid- to late summer 2025.
The film is arriving much sooner than we expected, probably because Denis Villeneuve decided that Dune 3 would be his very next movie. In early February 2025, he explained why: "I was expecting to do something else before, but frankly, that's the inspiration that came to my mind as I took a break this summer and was going back and finishing the story. I was really moved by the way Part Two was received by cinephiles around the world, and I felt an appetite and a desire to see more and a responsibility to finish that story."
Dune 3 plot speculation
Dune: Part Three does not have an official plot synopsis yet, but we do know it will be based on Herbert's novel of the same name. Most notably, the story features a 12-year gap from the events of Dune: Part Two. Per the logline of the novel, Paul Atreides has ruled as Emperor for 12 years, and has conquered most of the known universe. However, the religious devotion he inspired has caused the death of 61 billion people across the universe. Oh, and, it's not called Dune: Messiah like we thought...the film is officially titled Dune: Part Three.
Now that time jump seems like a tricky thing to navigate, and Villeneuve is not sharing his plans just yet. However, he told Vanity Fair previously with a succinct response: "That’s my problem. I know how to do that."
There are lots more interesting things that happen in Dune: Part Three, but in order to avoid spoilers, we won't go into those in depth here. If you want to know more about the exact plot details – that Dune 3 may or may not follow – read our breakdown of what might happen, according to the books.
Dune 3 cast speculation
Excitingly, one major actor seems to be joining the cast of Dune: Messiah as the villain. Robert Pattinson was reported to be in talks to play Scytale in April 2025. Florence Pugh has also confirmed she'll be back as Princess Irulan.
Plus, Jason Momoa recently revealed he'll be returning as Duncan Idaho for the threequel. "I’m making a comeback," he teased. "Well, I’m not sure if I’m going to get in trouble or not, but it’s the same thing like Game of Thrones, you know what I mean?" he added. "If you didn’t read the books, it’s not my fault, right? Yeah, there’s going to be… I’m going to be coming back." As you may remember, Duncan died in Dune, but he does make a reappearance in Dune: Part Three – or at least a version of him does.
Besides them, though, we don't have any other confirmed cast members. Given the 12-year gap between movies, it's entirely possible that Villeneuve could be planning to recast some roles in the upcoming film. But, to be honest, we doubt it, especially with Pugh confirming her return.
Dune is known for its incredible cast, and it seems far more likely that the director may have some ideas about aging up his stars, rather than recasting. So, based on this, we predict that the cast will look like this:
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Robert Pattinson as Scytale
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
- Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
- Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho
- Christopher Walken as Emperor Shaddam IV
- Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring
- Charlotte Rampling as Reverend Mother Mohiam
- Javier Bardem as Stilgar
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides
We expect there will be plenty more casting announcements to come as production edges closer on Dune: Part Three as well.
Is Dune 3 the final movie in the franchise?
Dune: Part Three has not been announced as the final movie in the Dune franchise, and Herbert does have several more novels that can be adapted. However, it will be the final movie helmed by Villeneuve. The director has been adamant about this for a long time, and recently reiterated this in a new interview. Speaking to The Wrap, he was asked to confirm if this would definitely be his final movie. "Yes. After that, it would become unhealthy," he replied.
Is there a Dune 3 trailer?
No, there is no Dune: Part Three trailer yet as cameras haven't yet started rolling on the movie. It's not likely that we'll see a first look at the sci-fi epic until much closer to release. With Dune: Part Two, the first trailer was released about 10 months before release – although it's worth pointing out that the release date was later delayed. It was about six months before the original release date. We expect Dune: Part Three will follow a similar timeline.
You can stream Dune now on HBO. Check out our guides to the best HBO movies and the best HBO shows to watch now.
