Denis Villeneuve has unveiled the first teaser trailer for Dune: Part Three, offering the clearest look yet at the next chapter of his epic sci-fi saga.
The film, based on Dune: Messiah and shot in part in Abu Dhabi, marks the culmination of a decades-long ambition for the director, who first imagined bringing Frank Herbert’s world to the screen as a young filmmaker.
In Los Angeles, Villeneuve introduced the footage, teasing the epic conflict, returning characters and a tonal shift that audiences can expect.
Dune 3 will take place 17 years after we last saw Paul and Chani
The trailer opens with Chani (Zendaya) and Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) discussing what they might name their future children. Fans of Frank Herbert’s novels will recognise the names Leto and Ghanima.
While the footage leans into large-scale action and what Villeneuve described as more of a “thriller” tone, he emphasised that the emotional core remains central.
“It’s about the story of Paul and Chani. They’re struggling with their relationship being a burden and this kind of pressure from the world," he said. "Paul needs to find a way out of the cycle of violence. There’s something about their love and my time with the art – that study of relationships really hit home.”
For Zendaya, who attended the launch alongside co-stars Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy and Javier Bardem, the film marks a deeply personal return.
“I’m so excited," the actress said. "These movies have meant so much to me over the years. I’ve literally been able to grow up through the experience. They have such a special place in my heart, and all these people do as well. So I’m very excited, very grateful to be a part of it."
Digital film captures a different side of Abu Dhabi’s deserts
The trailer expands the visual scope of the franchise, introducing new landscapes and environments – with Abu Dhabi once again playing a central role.
While much of the film was shot on 65mm and IMAX, Villeneuve also used digital cameras for desert sequences, drawn to the way they captured the “brutality” of the environment.
The Liwa desert features prominently in the opening moments of the teaser, something local officials say is a point of pride.
Sameer Al Jaberi, head of the Abu Dhabi Film Commission, told The National: “It’s a moment of immense pride to see Abu Dhabi’s Liwa desert showcased in the opening scenes of the first teaser trailer of Dune: Part Three. We look forward to working with Legendary Entertainment once again on the official release and promotion of the final chapter. This ‘first-look’ refocuses our anticipation and excitement as we look ahead to December to see how this extraordinary trilogy reaches its finale.”
Director only returned to Dune for one reason
Making the first Dune during the pandemic, largely isolated from audiences, left Villeneuve unsure how the film would be received. That changed quickly once it was screened.
“I received that wave of excitement," he said. "The first time I screened the film in Mexico, there were 14,000 people outside the theatre, 5,000 people inside. It was like that with the second film, too. It became this kind of roller coaster around the world, where we saw that excitement and I felt an appetite I was not expecting. That relationship with the audience – I felt a responsibility to finish the story."
Hans Zimmer will return as composer
One of the key questions surrounding the third film was whether Villeneuve’s long-time collaborators would return. Among them is composer Hans Zimmer, whose work has been central to the series’ identity.
Villeneuve confirmed his return – but suggested audiences should expect something different. “The movie is different. The score will be different. It’s something that Hans is very excited about and approaching with the same spirit as the first films.”
Villeneuve added: “I insist it’s a Dune movie, but it will be different, and people will be surprised by where we brought the story.”
Pattinson and Taylor-Joy tease new characters
The trailer offers a first look at Alia, Paul Atreides’ sister, who was previously glimpsed in utero in Dune: Part Two.
“Alia has a very intense situation,” Taylor-Joy said. “She carries the weight and the wisdom of generations in her. She’s never had a singular conversation – it’s everything, everywhere, all at once. The one thing she feels most strongly about is her love and devotion to her brother. He makes sense to her and she will do anything for him – to varying levels of insanity.”
Pattinson, meanwhile, revealed he was on the set of his A24 film The Drama with Zendaya when he first asked how he might “get into one of those Dune films”, after becoming a fan of the first two. Just a few months later, he received the call. “I always thought you had something to do with it,” he joked to Zendaya.
Discussing his character, Scytale, Pattinson remained deliberately vague, though he hinted at a surprising angle. “He could even be a good guy.”
How does Jason Momoa return?
The trailer also reveals the return of Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho – a development that raises immediate questions, given the character’s fate in the first film.
Momoa himself appeared by video from New Zealand to pose that question directly to Villeneuve. “It’s a good question,” the director said. “He was killed in the first one, and suddenly it seems that he comes back in the third one. Frank Herbert’s genius. The idea that they can create that kind of tremendous, charismatic character … and it’s a very important comeback.”
Watch the trailer here:
