Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet unveiled a new action-packed trailer for “Dune: Part Three,” marking the latest and most comprehensive look at the long-awaited final chapter of their sci-fi trilogy.
The Oscar-nominated filmmaker and his star revealed new images from the Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures epic to an audience packed with “Dune” devotees and press in Los Angeles. The global Imax fan event was simulcast in Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Montreal, London, Berlin, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi. The trailer and an expanded clip from the film will be shown before 70mm Imax screenings of “The Odyssey.”
“Dune: Part Three” sees Chalamet return as Paul Atreides, continuing the story after his rise to power at the end of “Part Two.” Inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel “Dune Messiah,” the action takes place 17 years after the events of the previous film and explores the consequences of Paul’s rule as emperor. And things are getting… dark. Really, very dark. As fans of the first film know, Paul has been blessed with visions of the future, but his mind has become clouded since he assumed control of the galaxy.
“The future has a way of speaking to me,” Paul confesses. “I can’t see what’s ahead.”
And Paul has a new adversary in Robert Pattinson’s Scytale, a shapeshifter who wants to dethrone the emperor. “We plan to attack the core of imperial power,” Scytale says. Making it clear that he wants to achieve nothing less than “regime change.”
The trailer also highlights Zendaya as the Fremen warrior Chani, whose romance with Paul has been complicated by his marriage to Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh). Now he wants a son.
There’s also plenty of Duncan Idaho, the fearsome warrior who died defending Paul and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson), and who has been resurrected as a ghola. Scytale sends it as a “gift” to Paul. In one sequence, the ghola version of Duncan has a revealing exchange with Paul.
Duncan: I think you are beyond redemption.
Pablo: Why are you here?
Duncan: To deliver a peace proposal?
Pablo: Peace is a good thing. Why should I refuse?
Duncan: Because it is destined to destroy you.
Villeneuve previously described the film as a change in tone from previous entries, noting that while the first installment was more contemplative and the second functioned as a war film, the third is “more action-packed and tense.” He has also called “Dune: Part Three” his “most personal” of the trilogy, emphasizing the emotional core of Paul and Chani’s relationship as it evolves under increasing political and personal pressure.
And Paul certainly seems more shocked, less strident than in the previous films, having unleashed a wave of intergalactic bloodshed. “Forgive me for everything I’ve done,” Paul says as the preview ends.
In a Q&A after the trailer’s debut, Chalamet discussed how Paul’s moral crisis is mocked in the books and some of what Herbert wanted to say about the corrupting influence of power by offering “a cautionary tale” about “charismatic leaders.”
“I read somewhere that that’s why he wrote ‘Messiah’ as a sequel. [because] “People mistook Paul for a classic hero,” Chalamet said, “and he wanted to warn the world what can happen when people blindly follow leaders, and that even good ones can become corrupt.”
Chalamet also spoke about Paul and Chani’s strained relationship after his betrayal and marriage to another woman. “In the third movie, it’s kind of a mastery of Denis, weaving plot lines that weren’t explicit in the book, and I would maybe say Denis took the most creative freedom, but it really ties the story together,” he said. “And Zendaya, as you can see in [the new trailer]gives a fantastic performance.”
Returning cast members include Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Pugh, whose role as Princess Irulan is expanded in the new film. Anya Taylor-Joy also reprises her role as Alia Atreides, who becomes a devoted follower of her brother. (“She’s stunning and she’s amazing in this movie,” Chalamet said. “That’s not media hyperbole. She’s actually terrifying and amazing.”) New additions to the cast include not only Pattinson but also Isaach de Bankolé as Paul’s former death commando Fedaykin.
As talented as the “Dune” ensemble is, Chalamet reserved his highest praise for its leader, Villeneuve, praising him for his dedication and steady hand in directing the trilogy.
“He could have taken years between these projects. Instead, he delivered and we did it right away,” Chalamet said of the filmmaker. “I’m a big fan of the ‘Lord of the Rings’ trilogy and I can’t imagine the last time someone took out three things in such a row. I’m very grateful for Denis. We trust Denis.”
One of the questions submitted by an audience member in Dallas asked the couple to think back to 2019 and give their younger selves some advice on how to take this journey.
“I would tell myself to savor it,” Chalamet said, noting “how rare it is to work on something of a high artistic level.”
“Sleep as much as you can,” Villeneuve joked, before adding that bringing the trilogy to screens had been a decade well spent. “It was the privilege of my life to work with all of you,” he said, turning to Chalamet.
To conclude the global event, Chalamet revealed that, at each theater, an audience member would find an envelope under their seats for a private screening of “Dune: Part Three” when the film opens in theaters on December 18, so that fans and their friends could watch Villeneuve close his adaptation of Herbert’s saga.
Watch the full trailer below:
