Director Denis Villeneuve was clear that he considers his Dune adaption to be Paul’s story, so Dune: Part Three will be the end of it. It will be based on the 1969 novel Dune Messiah.
The third entry in the franchise is set when Paul “Muad’Dib” Atreides has ruled as Emperor for 12 years following the events of Dune: Part Two.
By accepting the role of messiah to the Fremen, he has unleashed a galactic jihad that has conquered most of the known universe, but he is powerless to stop the lethal excesses of the religious juggernaut he has created. Although 61 billion people have perished, Paul’s prescient visions indicate this is far from the worst possible outcome for humanity.
Motivated by this knowledge, Paul hopes to set humanity on a course that will not inevitably lead to stagnation and destruction, while at the same time acting as ruler of the empire and focal point of the Fremen religion.
However, the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the Tleilaxu conspire to dethrone Paul.
Reports say that filming on Dune: Part Three has wrapped, and images from the wrap party have been shared online. Filming has taken around 4 months. The project now has thirteen months before release. It is due in cinemas on 18th December 2026.
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and Anya Taylor-Joy all return, with Robert Pattinson joining the cast.
Meanwhile, HBO has announced that its TV spinoff series Dune: Prophecy has officially started production on a second season, with Indira Varma (Game of Thrones, Obi-Wan Kenobi), Ashley Walters (Adolescence, Missing You), and Tom Hollander (The White Lotus, The Night Manager) joining the cast.
Filming will take place in Hungary, Jordan, and Spain.
