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Seventeen years after he took the throne, Paul Atreides rules the Imperium, and the synopsis promises it will cost him dearly. Dune: Part Three, the final chapter of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy, brings back Timothée Chalamet as a ruthless Emperor and Zendaya as Chani, the woman who walked away from him, with Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy joining the fight for the Imperium. Adapted from Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah, it opens in UK cinemas and IMAX on Friday 18 December 2026. Here is everything confirmed so far, every official trailer and the full poster gallery.
Dune: Part Three at a Glance
- Film: Dune: Part Three (2026)
- Director: Denis Villeneuve
- Writers: Denis Villeneuve and Brian K. Vaughan
- Based on: Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert
- Starring: Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson and Javier Bardem
- Music: Hans Zimmer
- UK: Only in cinemas and IMAX from Friday 18 December 2026 (Warner Bros.)
- US: Only in cinemas and IMAX from Friday 18 December 2026 (Warner Bros.)
- Formats: Standard, IMAX and IMAX 70mm, plus other premium large formats
- UK certificate and running time: To be confirmed
Viewer Match
- Best for: Anyone who saw Part One and Part Two on the biggest screen they could find, and book readers waiting to see how Villeneuve tackles Dune Messiah.
- Maybe skip if: You have not seen the first two films yet. Part Three picks up their story, so catch up first.
- Expected mood and pace: Darker and more paranoid, going by the trailers. Villeneuve told Empire it has “a different pacing” from the first two films.
- Cinema or streaming?: Best watched in the cinema, in IMAX if you can. It is a cinema-only release, and no streaming date has been announced.
- Spoiler level: Spoiler-free for Part Three. The recap section below contains full spoilers for Part Two.
The Official Dune: Part Three Posters
Warner Bros. has put its whole cast on the walls: two main posters, a poster of Paul and Chani, and nine character posters. Each character is pictured close up, battered by the desert, under the line “The Epic Conclusion”.
Swipe or use the arrow buttons to browse all 15 official posters. The slideshow pauses when you hover over it or move into it with the keyboard.
Confirmed So Far
Warner Bros. and Legendary’s official synopsis sets Dune: Part Three nearly two decades after Paul Atreides seized control of the Imperium. Now a ruthless Emperor, Paul has to face the consequences of his reign as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge and betrayal lurks in every shadow. Haunted by visions of Imperial collapse and the reappearance of his long-lost love, he is drawn into a sweeping conspiracy with Chani at the heart of it. Deadline puts the gap since Part Two at 17 years.
Villeneuve directs from a screenplay he wrote with Brian K. Vaughan, the Saga and Y: The Last Man writer. Much of the crew is back. Patrice Vermette returns as production designer, Joe Walker as editor, Jacqueline West as costume designer and Hans Zimmer as composer. Linus Sandgren, the Oscar-winning cinematographer of La La Land, is the new director of photography. Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, Joe Caracciolo Jr. and Villeneuve produce.
The release plan is simple. Dune: Part Three opens in UK and North American cinemas and IMAX on Friday 18 December 2026, and Warner Bros. says some international markets get it from 16 December. Fans who want to see it first can book early screenings on Tuesday 15 December. In the UK these include IMAX shows at London’s BFI IMAX. IMAX 70mm tickets first went on sale on 6 April and sold out within hours, and general tickets went on sale worldwide on 20 October, as our Horror and Sci-Fi Brief reported. The final trailer followed a week later.
Who’s Who: The Returning and New Cast
The core of the trilogy is back. Timothée Chalamet returns as Paul, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Paul’s mother Lady Jessica, Javier Bardem as the Fremen leader Stilgar and Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan. Charlotte Rampling, the Reverend Mother Mohiam of the first two films, is back too.
The most intriguing return belongs to Jason Momoa, whose Duncan Idaho died in Part One. He now plays Hayt, which the official character guide describes as a ghola of Duncan Idaho, brought back through the mysterious practices of the Bene Tleilax. Anya Taylor-Joy, glimpsed briefly in Part Two, takes on the full role of Paul’s sister Alia Atreides.
The big new arrival is Robert Pattinson as Scytale, a Face Dancer of the Bene Tleilax, a faction known for its secrecy and manipulation. Isaach de Bankolé joins as Farok, a Fremen shaped by the harsh life of Arrakis. Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke complete the official line-up as newcomers.
Where Dune: Part Two Left Off
Spoilers for Dune: Part Two follow. Part Two ended with Paul getting everything and losing the one thing that mattered. After drinking the Water of Life, he took on the role of the Fremen messiah, the Lisan al-Gaib. He killed Feyd-Rautha in a duel, forced Emperor Shaddam IV to give up the throne and claimed Princess Irulan’s hand in marriage. When the Great Houses refused to accept him, Paul sent the Fremen out to war across the stars.
Chani refused to kneel. The last time we saw her, she was walking alone into the desert and calling a sandworm, leaving behind the man she loved and the holy war he had started. Part Three begins years later, with Paul on the throne and Chani, according to the synopsis, at the heart of a conspiracy.
The first two films earned a combined 1.12 billion US dollars worldwide and won eight Oscars between them, Deadline reported. Both were nominated for Best Picture. If you want a refresher before December, see our What to Watch Tonight from 8 November.
The Book It Adapts: Dune Messiah
Frank Herbert published Dune Messiah in 1969 as the sequel to Dune. It is a very different book: shorter, colder and set largely inside the palace walls rather than out on the open sand. Where Dune tells the story of a young man rising to power, Messiah asks what happens after the hero has won.
Villeneuve seems to have embraced that change. “We are back with the same characters, but this time the world has totally changed,” he told Empire, adding that the idea was to make a film with “the same DNA” that is nonetheless “a very different movie”. He was also frank about why he went back to Arrakis at all: “not out of nostalgia, not because I miss it, but the opposite. I’m tired of it.” He said he wanted to make sure he would be “severe with the material”.
Watch the Trailers and Featurettes
Warner Bros. has released three trailers for Dune: Part Three, along with an official cast-and-crew event video from the day the first teaser launched. All four are below, newest first. The trailers come from Warner Bros. UK & Ireland, so they carry the UK release date.
What to Look For
Chani: The trailers give Zendaya a central role, and the synopsis puts her at the heart of the conspiracy. After the way Part Two ended, the relationship between Paul and Chani looks like the emotional heart of the finale, and it is the part of the film we are most curious about.
Robert Pattinson’s Scytale: A Face Dancer is a gift to an actor who enjoys strange roles, and his character poster, with its blurred and shifting face, suggests Villeneuve is leaning into the weirder corners of Herbert’s universe.
The scale: Part Three includes sequences shot with IMAX cameras, and the first IMAX 70mm tickets sold out within hours when they went on sale in April. If you can get a seat in IMAX, take it.
Spoiler-Free Preview Verdict
On the evidence of the trailers and Villeneuve’s own words, Dune: Part Three is the riskiest film of the trilogy. It is a story about the cost of winning, told by a director who says he wanted to be “severe with the material”. That is exactly why it is the one to watch this Christmas. Book early, book big, and book for 18 December.
Dune: Part Three FAQ
When does Dune: Part Three come out in the UK?
Dune: Part Three opens in UK cinemas and IMAX on Friday 18 December 2026, released by Warner Bros. Early screenings are on sale at selected UK cinemas, including London’s BFI IMAX, for Tuesday 15 December.
When is Dune: Part Three released in the US?
It opens in cinemas and IMAX across North America on Friday 18 December 2026. IMAX has also announced Dune Insider screenings in IMAX and IMAX 70mm on Tuesday 15 December.
Is Dune: Part Three based on Dune Messiah?
Yes. Warner Bros. describes Dune: Part Three as based on Frank Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah, first published in 1969 as the sequel to Dune. Denis Villeneuve wrote the screenplay with Brian K. Vaughan.
Who is in the cast of Dune: Part Three?
Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides), Zendaya (Chani), Jason Momoa (Hayt), Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica), Isaach de Bankolé (Farok), Charlotte Rampling, Anya Taylor-Joy (Alia Atreides), Robert Pattinson (Scytale) and Javier Bardem (Stilgar), with newcomers Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke.
Is Dune: Part Three the last Dune film?
It is Denis Villeneuve’s last Dune film. He told Empire it is his final trip to Arrakis before he moves on to James Bond, and Warner Bros. bills it as the epic conclusion of his trilogy.
Will Dune: Part Three be in IMAX?
Yes. It is released in IMAX, including IMAX 70mm screenings, and the UK poster carries the Filmed for IMAX badge. Variety reported in July 2025 that the film includes sequences shot with IMAX cameras.
How long is Dune: Part Three and what is its UK rating?
Neither has been confirmed yet. The BBFC has not yet published a certificate or running time for the feature, so check with your cinema before booking.
Book readers and first-timers alike: who are you most curious to see, Robert Pattinson’s Scytale or Anya Taylor-Joy’s Alia? Tell us below.
Dune: Part Three Official Stills
Warner Bros. has released a first set of stills from the film, plus three photos from the set in the Liwa Desert, Abu Dhabi.
Swipe or use the arrow buttons to browse all 25 official stills. The slideshow pauses when you hover over it or move into it with the keyboard.