Timothée Chalamet says Dune: Part 3 is a “big swing” for his “last time” in the franchise

by

Timothée Chalamet has shared some exciting clues about the next Dune movie, and confirmed that it will be his final appearance in the series.

Dune: Part Three will be based on the second book in Frank Herbert’s famous Dune series, called Messiah. The story continues more than ten years after the events of the first film, following Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet).

This novel explores the villainous side of a character who gained power by nearly destroying the universe, and now finds himself targeted by a secret plot within his own family.

Timothée Chalamet, speaking at an event hosted by Variety, drew parallels between his character Paul’s rise to power in Dune: Part Two and the journeys of iconic villains like Heath Ledger’s Joker in The Dark Knight and Marlon Brando’s Colonel Kurtz in Apocalypse Now. He suggested Paul’s transformation shared similarities with their stories.

I wouldn’t approach that role the same way,” he explained. “It’s easier to take a risk and do something unexpected in a big-budget film.

Timothée Chalamet says his performance in Dune: Part Three will be his most daring yet as Paul Atreides. He feels more comfortable with the film’s unusual science fiction setting, which has allowed him to take more risks with the role.

Want to see this content?

We need your permission to display this content. This requires loading Google reCAPTCHA, which has certain necessary functions to operate on this page.

Chalamet admitted he was surprised by the highly stylized, futuristic look of the 2021 film Dune. He explained that after working on more realistic films like Beautiful Boy and Call Me by Your Name, he found the scale and style of Dune intimidating.

Especially in this third film, the impressive visuals come from allowing the actors and camera to move freely and make their own choices. Working with director Denis Villeneuve, we found a great flow and pace. It’s the most unsettling film of the series, and we really took a bold approach.

The actor playing Paul confirmed he’ll be flying the ‘ornithopter’ – the bug-like aircraft from the Dune universe – in the upcoming ‘Dune: Part Three’. He also mentioned he dedicated extra time and effort to filming those scenes this time.

Unlike the first film, I really focused on understanding the control panel right away,” Chalamet said. “It was covered in symbols and things that didn’t seem to make sense, but I wanted to figure out what every button did and create my own way of interacting with it.

He remembered wanting to fully appreciate every moment on set. Knowing this would be his final work on a Dune movie, he felt a strong responsibility to treat the experience with reverence and respect.

It’s easy to become comfortable, but I really focused my energy on the third attempt. It felt like things were naturally moving forward, and I wanted to challenge that momentum as much as possible.

I’ve been seeing a lot of chatter online, and it seems like Timothée Chalamet won’t be continuing with the Dune movies after the third one. Apparently, this lines up with what happens in the books after Dune Messiah, so it makes sense. A lot of us fans had a feeling this might happen, and now it looks like it’s confirmed!

In the third book, Children of Dune, the story jumps forward nine years and Paul takes on a smaller part. However, he still appears occasionally, leading Timothée Chalamet to suggest that if this book is made into a film, Paul might be played by an older actor.

That’s definitely a potential outcome. Director Villeneuve has mentioned before that he intends for Dune: Part Three to be his last directorial effort on the series, but the story could continue with other directors taking over.

He told Variety in late 2024 that he wants to include potential for future development in the third part of the project, as he believes the books are visually appealing and could inspire others to build upon the work.

The films are getting increasingly complex and niche. While it’s becoming more challenging to adjust, I’m still open to the possibility of continuing the series. I won’t be directing any future Dune movies myself, but another director could take on the project.

Timothée Chalamet is currently promoting his well-received sports movie, Marty Supreme. He’ll be back for Dune: Part Three alongside familiar faces like Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh, and will be joined by new cast member Robert Pattinson.

Dune: Part Three is coming to cinemas in December 2026.

Download the TopMob: What to Watch app today to get daily TV recommendations, discover new features, and easily add shows to your watchlist.

Authors

David CraigSenior Drama Writer

David Craig writes about scripted TV dramas and comedies for TopMob. Before that, he worked at Starburst Magazine, hosted the Winter King Podcast on ITVX, and earned a degree in Journalism from the University of Sheffield.

  • Visit us on Twitter

Read More

2026-02-22 15:05