At a global event hosted from Los Angeles, Dune: Part Three director Denis Villeneuve and star Timothée Chalamet sat down to talk about the final installment in the franchise, and how this film is going to surprise audiences.
Alongside fans and press, I watched the premiere of the new trailer for Dune: Part Three at the Scotiabank Toronto’s IMAX theatre. Fans in New York, Chicago, Dallas, Montreal, London, Berlin, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi all saw the trailer, some footage from the film, and then listened as Villeneuve and Chalamet shared thoughts on what fans can expect when the film premieres on December 18, 2026.
Challenging the hero’s journey
One of the first questions jumped right to the point: how did they deal with the framing of Paul Atreides, considering he seems so heroic in the first two films, and it’s easy to sympathize with him.
“I think [author] Frank Herbert and Denis hopefully painted a nuanced picture of a warning tale, to beware charismatic leaders, and I think the proof is in the pudding,” Chalamet said.
“Spice pudding,” Villeneuve added, smiling at his own bad joke.
“I think I read somewhere that it’s why [Herbert] wrote Messiah as a follow-up to the first book, [that] people mistook Paul as a classic hero and he sort of wanted to warn the world what can happen when people blindly follow leaders, and that even the good can be corrupted.”
In Denis we trust: Part Three channels “it’s own energy”
Chalamet was quick to praise Villeneuve for all that he’s done to bring these novels to life on the big screen. He went so far as to compare this trilogy to another great franchise.
“I’m a huge fan of the Lord of the Rings trilogy,” the actor said, “and I’m trying to imagine the last time someone knocked out three things so consecutively. Just very grateful; in Denis we trust.”
“You see the passion here, for the movies and the books,” Chalamet said. “I came into it not knowing the books in 2017 or 2018, and I’m on the other side of it and so moved that we have this community of fans now. The sincerity of the approach never altered, even on the third one.”
“And that starts with this man. As he said, the approach was slightly different on this one. It wasn’t like, ‘Okay, we found a formula, now we’re just going to ride it back,’ but this is a different movie.”
“I think the first two [films] were sort of siblings,” Villeneuve said, “and then this one is really its own energy. I love that approach. It’s familiar–this crew, this family–but there’s a new tone to this. I’m really looking forward for you all to see what Timothée did in that. It’s really impressive.”
“In the first movie, it’s a young boy discovering a planet; then becoming an adult; and now he really did create something very special. I was very impressed by what Timothée brought to the movie again.”
New faces on Arrakis, and surprises
The third film introduces heavyweight additions to the cast, including Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy. Chalamet, who previously worked with Pattinson, was particularly struck by Taylor-Joy’s presence on set.
“Anya is something special in this movie, as is Rob,” Chalamet shared. “Maybe it was the cinematography style or Denis’ direction, but the first day Anya stepped on set–I didn’t really get to work with her on the second one–visually she was breathtaking and she’s unbelievable in this movie. That’s not hyperbole. She’s actually terrifying and amazing.”
When asked who he thought was the most surprising in the film, Villeneuve said, “Personally, I think that all characters are bringing something surprising to the plot. I cannot single out someone because we try to bring them all into a new light.”
Photos courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures.
