The rollout for Dune: Part Three—or as Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides) calls it, DUN3—is officially underway.
On Tuesday (March 17), Warner Bros. dropped the first real glimpse of what’s expected to be the final chapter in Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s iconic saga.
The timing couldn’t be more perfect. Chalamet, a three-time Oscar nominee who delivered a standout performance in Josh Safdie’s Marty Supreme, walked away without a win at this past weekend’s Academy Awards.
Now, he’s stepping into a darker, more intense vibe as the Dune rollout begins.
Coming four years after Dune: Part Two—a film that dominated both critically and commercially—Dune: Part Three sees Denis Villeneuve drawing from Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah. As the director previously shared with Deadline, the story will jump forward in time, picking up well after the events of the last film.
“Their journey, their story is different this time, and that’s why I always say that while it’s the same world it’s a new film with new circumstances,” the Sicario and Blade Runner 2049 director said in 2024, noting that this final installment will “finish the Paul Atreides arc.”
He echoed similar thoughts during a special TikTok livestream on Tuesday ahead of the teaser drop, hinting that Chalamet’s character will now face the “consequences” of power. During the same session, Villeneuve confirmed that Hans Zimmer will return to handle the score, though it won’t sound quite like what fans heard in the first two films.
For this final chapter, Chalamet is joined by a stacked cast including Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem, Anya Taylor-Joy, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, and more. Some of the stars—Zendaya, Pattinson, and Bardem—also appeared alongside Villeneuve during the TikTok live event.
Check out the teaser above, and catch it on the big screen starting Dec. 18. As Villeneuve shared on Tuesday, he’s currently still in the “cooking” phase as the film moves closer to release.
“If we have a girl, what will we name her?” Zendaya’s character, Chani, asks Atreides in the opening moments of the teaser as they talk about starting a family.
Later in the teaser, Atreides—now sporting a noticeably different look from the first two Dune films—reflects on the cycle of conflict, admitting that “war feeds on itself” as he questions what his late father, Duke Leto Atreides, would have done.
“Your father never started a war,” Ferguson, as Lady Jessica, responds.
In the closing moments, Atreides shows a strong sense of resolve that hints at what’s ahead.
“I’m not afraid to die, but I must not die yet,” he declares.
