Set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, Dune: Part Three is the next chapter in the epic space-opera saga directed by Denis Villeneuve. The film will follow events roughly twelve years after the end of its predecessor, continuing the story of power, prophecy, and survival in the harsh desert world of Arrakis.The film will likely premiere at the Venice Film Festival after director Denis Villeneuve reportedly met with the festival’s artistic director, Alberto Barbera, who hinted that a 2026 debut “could be a possibility.” Dune: Part Three features returning cast members, including Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Anya Taylor-Joy, among other actors. Robert Pattinson is also set to appear in an undisclosed role.Denis Villeneuve's final instalment in the space opera saga, Dune: Part Three, reportedly to premiere at the 2026 Venice Film Festival Dune: Part Three wrapped up filming on November 11, 2025, with a scheduled release for December 2026. Regarding the film's premiere, the Venice Film Festival artistic director Alberto Barbera spoke to Variety at the Marrakech Film Festival and hinted at the film's possible debut at the next Venice Film Festival, which will be held between September 2 - 12, 2026. The first film in the trilogy, Dune (2021), also had its world premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival, which generated strong positive momentum for its eventual Oscar success. Before the trilogy's second film release, which came out in March 2024, director Denis Villeneuve stated in an interview with the Empire magazine that making the trilogy would be the dream. He stated:“If I succeed in making a trilogy, that would be the dream Dune Messiah was written in reaction to the fact that people perceived Paul Atreides as a hero. Which is not what he wanted to do. My adaptation [of Dune] is closer to his idea that it’s actually a warning.”Dune: Part Three was majorly filmed at the Origo Film Studios in Budapest, Hungary, and in the desert landscapes of the Liwa Desert in Abu Dhabi. The production, which was wrapped in November 2025, sees the return of the celebrated creative team, including legendary composer Hans Zimmer, who will again craft the film’s musical score.Notably, the film was largely shot on 65mm celluloid film, a shift from the digital cameras used for the first two parts. Furthermore, key sequences were captured using IMAX film cameras, with early reports suggesting the possibility of the entire film being shot in the format. Dune: Part Three will be based on Dune Messiah, the second novel in the classic saga by Frank Herbert. The film picks up roughly twelve years after the events of the first movie, at a point when Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) has ascended to the Imperial throne and took the mantle of the Fremen’s messianic figure, Muad’Dib.In an interview with the Time magazine, Denis Villeneuve spoke casting Timothée Chalamet in the lead role highlighting that A Complete Unknown star was always the first choice for playing Atreides. He stated:“He has those very aristocratic features. You feel a strong intelligence in the eyes. And he looks very young onscreen, and I needed that youth, that candor, that vulnerability—that young man who was struggling with his identity, trying to find a spot.”Stay tuned for more updates on Dune: Part Three.