Timothée Chalamet Reveals 'Dune: Part Three' Will Be the "Eeriest" Movie in the Trilogy
There's less than a year left to wait for one of the most highly anticipated sci-fi premieres in recent years.
During a discussion with Matthew McConaughey at a Variety and CNN event, Timothée Chalamet discussed the finale of Denis Villeneuve's Dune trilogy in detail for the first time.
Timothée Chalamet Revealed the 'Dune: Part Three' Production Details, Calling It the "Eeriest" Film in the Trilogy
Chalamet admitted that he approached the third installment completely differently than the first – uncertainty has passed, and freedom has arrived.
In an interview, Timothée admitted that he felt out of place while working on the first Dune movie. After working on more intimate films like Call Me by Your Name and Beautiful Boy, he had a hard time adjusting to the futuristic aesthetic and gigantic scale of the Dune set:
“I was coming off Beautiful Boy and Call Me by Your Name and movies that were a lot more naturalistic, and this was a huge movie, so I felt intimidated.
But especially on this third one, all the great sh*t you see on screen is from freedom of movement and freedom of choice. And with Denis, we really had a good rhythm. It's the eeriest one. It's a big swing.”
Chalamet cited Oscar Isaac, who played Leto Atreides in the first Dune movie, as a source of inspiration:
“He treated it in a Shakespearean way – to play it heightened and not really care about it being heightened.”
What Will 'Dune: Part Three' Be About?
The screenplay is based on Frank Herbert's novel Dune Messiah. The story takes place 12 years after the events of the second movie. Paul Atreides has become emperor, but his power is unstable.
A conspiracy is brewing against him involving the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood, the Tleilaxu genetic engineers, the Spacing Guild, and even his wife, Empress Irulan. In an attempt to destroy Paul, the conspirators create a clone of his deceased friend and mentor, Duncan Idaho.
The assassination attempt on the emperor fails, but Paul loses his sight in the explosion. Then, his beloved Chani dies while giving birth to his twins: a son named Leto and a daughter named Ghanima. Broken and blind, Paul decides to abandon the throne despite the uncovered conspiracy.
His sister Alia becomes regent for the young heir. Following Fremen custom, Paul retreats into the Arrakis desert and surrenders himself to the sandworm.
Director Denis Villeneuve has no plans to adapt Children of Dune for the screen, considering the subsequent books too esoteric, so this movie will be the final installment in the story of Paul Atreides.
When Will 'Dune: Part Three' Be Released?
Dune: Part Three is set to premiere on December 18, 2026.
Filming wrapped up in late 2025, and the movie is currently in post-production.
