Dune: Part Three director Denis Villeneuve is taking Paul Atreides’ story in a “very different” direction for the conclusion of his film trilogy. With the film roughly two months away, Villeneuve has begun explaining how it will differ from its predecessors. The third installment is set 17 years after the events of the second film, allowing the characters and their world to undergo significant changes.
In a new interview with Empire, Villeneuve discussed how he plans to conclude his Dune trilogy and distinguish the third film from its predecessors. “The idea was to try to make a movie that will have the same DNA — it’s a Dune movie — but it’s a very different movie. It has a different pacing. We are back with the same characters, but this time the world has totally changed,” Villeneuve said.
Villeneuve also added that due to the time jump and the various psyches of all characters, their “perspective on reality has totally changed.” Discussing Paul Atreides’ arc, Villeneuve said that he “is living with the burden of what he created, trying to find a way out of this spiral of violence.”
What to know about Timothée Chalamet and Anya Taylor-Joy’s roles in Dune: Part 3
Timothée Chalamet and Anya Taylor-Joy reprise the roles of Paul Atreides and his sister, Alia Atreides. Primarily based on Frank Herbert’s second novel, Dune Messiah, the film portrays Paul as a ruthless emperor. Alia, who appeared in Paul’s visions in the previous film, takes on a larger role in protecting Paul from a new conspiracy by their enemies. As the daughter of a reverend mother, Alia was born with special abilities that confound everyone she interacts with.
In a previous interview, Chalamet praised Taylor-Joy’s performance as Alia in the upcoming film. The film also stars Florence Pugh, Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Jason Momoa, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, Ida Brooke, Josh Brolin, and Rebecca Ferguson.
Dune: Part Three releases in theaters on December 18, 2026.
