Dune 3 Got An Exciting Update, And The Threequel Has Never Felt More Real

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I was optimistic when Denis Villeneuve was announced as director for another Dune movie, but I tried to stay realistic. However, the project recently reached a major milestone, making the planned 2026 release date seem very secure – and I’m now really excited about it!

News that filming for Dune: Part Three has finished first appeared on the Timothée Chalamet Nation fan account on X (formerly Twitter). The account shared a photo from the set announcing “That’s a wrap!” and thanking everyone involved. While not officially confirmed by the studio, the post also mentioned a planned release date in theaters. The image, which shows a wrap screen and a picture of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, is the strongest indication yet that the movie is now moving into the editing and finishing stages.

Initial reports indicated filming started in July and lasted about four months. Warner Bros. appears to have decided on the simple title Dune: Part Three, rather than Dune: Messiah, despite the film being based on Frank Herbert’s third Dune novel. This choice of title might hint at a larger plan: director Denis Villeneuve could be combining elements from Children of Dune alongside Messiah to conclude the trilogy in a single film.

News confirms Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke will be joining the cast of Dune 3, playing Leto II and Ghanima – the children of Paul (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya). This strongly suggests the film will jump forward in time, showing the twins grown up beyond their infancy as seen at the end of the previous film. The big question now is how much of the next book in the series director Denis Villeneuve will adapt – he could cover just a few key events to set up the finale, or take a more ambitious approach and focus on the twins’ journey to power. While a shorter adaptation seems more likely, the possibilities remain open.

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There’s a format twist, too. Whereas the first two films were shot digitally, Part Three is being shot on film, specifically 15-perf 65mm IMAX and 5-perf 65mm, per Kodak’s now-deleted Instagram story tease which was documented over on Reddit. With Linus Sandgren behind the camera, expect a grain-rich, organic finish that leans into heat haze, skin tone, and sheer scale in ways even premium digital struggles to match. Villeneuve has never been shy about image craft; this reads like a final-chapter flex.

Now that filming for Dune: Part Three is finished, anticipation is building. The movie is scheduled to release on December 18, 2026, and will compete with Avengers: Doomsday in theaters. Following the huge success of the Barbenheimer phenomenon, it’s clear that a well-timed alternative can be incredibly popular, and fans are playfully calling this release “Dunesday.” I’m really excited about it!

While we anticipate details about the next installment in the sci-fi saga, you can currently enjoy the first two movies, which are streaming on HBO Max.

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2025-11-13 19:08