While promotingDune (2021), Villeneuve confirmed plans to adaptMessiah if theDune films were successful, and later stating that it would be the final film of the trilogy. Following the critical and commercial success ofDune: Part Two, the film was confirmed to be in development, and Warner Bros. set up a December 2026 release date. After the cast was announced throughout March, principal photography began in July 2025 and wrapped that November, taking place inBudapest andAbu Dhabi.Hans Zimmer returns from the previous films to compose the film's score.
Dune: Part Three is scheduled to be released in the United States and Canada on December 18, 2026.
While promotingDune (2021) at the78th Venice International Film Festival, Villeneuve confirmed he planned to adapt Herbert's second novel in the series,Dune Messiah (1969), as a part of his franchise if theDune films were successful.[12] AfterDune: Part Two (2024) was greenlit in October 2021, Villeneuve reiterated his hope of creating a film based onDune Messiah.[13][14] ScreenwriterJon Spaihts confirmed in March 2022 that Villeneuve still had plans for a third film, alongside planned television spin-off projects within theDune franchise.[15] Villeneuve intends forDune Messiah to serve as his finalDune film and installment within his Paul Atreides trilogy.[16] He wanted to take a break prior to producing the film due to being exhausted by directing the films back-to-back, intending to direct another film in between.[17]
Following the release ofDune: Part Two, Legendary CEO Joshua Grode stated that the studio was "engaged" in development.[18] In March 2024, Villeneuve was cautious about making the film, as he wanted to ensure the script was good and said he would make the film only if he felt it was superior toDune: Part Two.[19] By the next month, the film was confirmed to be in development by Villeneuve and Legendary Entertainment.[20][21] On June 28, 2024, Warner Bros. announced a December 18, 2026, release date for an upcoming film directed by Villeneuve, withThe Hollywood Reporter andDeadline Hollywood speculating it was the thirdDune film.Deadline Hollywood also stated that work on the script and casting had continued.[22][23] In October 2024, Villeneuve said he was still writing the film and that he expected to begin production sooner than what he previously expected.[24] In August 2025, it was confirmed thatLinus Sandgren would serve as the film's cinematographer, replacingGreig Fraser, who previously worked onDune andDune: Part Two, due to Fraser's commitments onSam Mendes's four separate plannedthe Beatles biopic films he is producing and directing for April 2028.[25]
While writingDune: Part Two, Villeneuve noted Herbert's original intention to avoid depicting Paul Atreides as a heroic figure, intending for him to critique the idea of theMessiah and be anantihero. This impacted how he wrote Paul inPart Two, and said that its ending would eventually set up the sequel.[26][27] As early as August 2023, Villeneuve began conceiving of potential ideas for the film, saying that there were "words on paper". He also expected it to serve as the final film in a trilogy withDune andDune: Part Two.[28] By that December, he said that he had almost finished writing the script.[17] Work continued that next month, reiterating the film would conclude thestory arc for Atreides and that it would take place 12 years afterPart Two.[29] He was still writing the film that October.[24] In February 2025, Villeneuve stated that Chani's heart was "broken" and that the film would begin with the initiation of the "Holy War". He felt a "responsibility" to finish his work on the film after seeing the positive critical reception thatPart Two had received.[30] In October, actressRebecca Ferguson described the script as "phenomenal" and "hard to create" given how dense the original book was due to how much it told, but that Villeneuve was able to dip in and out of it due to his desire to make certain "connections and tentacles" to the book.[5]
In March 2025,Jason Momoa revealed that he would reprise his role asDuncan Idaho from the first film.[3] In November 2025, it was confirmed thatRobert Pattinson would also appear in a role,[31] withTimothée Chalamet,Zendaya, andFlorence Pugh confirmed to return from the previous films.[1] Outlets have speculated that Pattinson will be playing the film's villain,Scytale;[32]Matthew Belloni ofPuck indicated Pattinson would film this installment, then would prepare his schedule in January 2026 for filmingThe Batman: Part II (2027).[33] In June 2025, Momoa's son Nakoa-Wolf Momoa in his debut acting role, and Ida Brooke were announced as being cast as Leto II and Ghanima Atreides, respectively.[6] In August,Josh Brolin confirmed that he would return asGurney Halleck.[4] That same month,Variety confirmed Pattinson's involvement with the project.[34] In October 2025, Rebecca Ferguson revealed that she had reprised her role asLady Jessica for the film, albeit not in a large capacity since the character does not appear in the book and Villeneuve did not intend on including her in the film until he had an idea to warrant her presence.[5]
IMAX CEORichard Gelfond suggested that the entire film would be shot with IMAX cameras, thoughVariety reported that this was inaccurate as only select sequences were shot with IMAX cameras.[41][38] The previous movies were shot using IMAX certified digital cameras and printed onto35mm film stock, before being re-scanned digitally to emulate shot-on-film photography.[42]
By October 2025, Ferguson had already shot her few scenes as Lady Jessica.[5] In November, Robert Pattinson confirmed he wrapped his part, in which he stated that he simply obeyed Villeneuve's direction as his brain "wasn't actually operating" due to the desert's heat.[43] Filmingwrapped on November 11.[44]
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