Dune: Part Three trailer lands, a day after sneak peek with Zendaya, director Villeneuve
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Timothee Chalamet reprises his role as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Three.
PHOTO: WBEI
- Denis Villeneuve will direct Dune: Part Three after seeing audience enthusiasm for the first two films, reversing his initial plan to take a break.
- The third film, based on *Dune Messiah*, will explore Paul Atreides' struggle with power and introduce new planets, with a trailer released on March 17.
- Robert Pattinson joins the cast as Scytale, an ambiguous character, while Zendaya reflected on her time filming Dune during her 20s.
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LOS ANGELES – Canadian film-maker Denis Villeneuve revealed he nearly took a break before completing Dune: Part Three, the conclusion to his epic science-fiction trilogy (2021 to present), but changed his mind after he saw how audiences embraced the first two films.
“I felt an appetite for the third movie that I was not expecting,” said Villeneuve on March 16 in Los Angeles at a preview event for the movie’s trailer, which was released to the public on March 17.
It is based on Dune Messiah (1969), the second book in the Dune series of novels written by late American author Frank Herbert, about the battle for control of the fictional planet of Arrakis, a harsh desert locale that contains a valuable spice that can extend life.
The new trailer shows the main character Paul Atreides, played by French-American actor Timothee Chalamet, and Chani, played by American actress Zendaya, years after the first two films as they ponder their future as parents.
The first two films, released in 2021 and 2024, grossed a combined US$1.1 billion (S$1.4 billion) worldwide and received numerous accolades, including several Academy Awards.
Villeneuve, 58, describes the third film as a departure from the first two, as Paul must also reckon with the consequences of the power and influence that he holds.
The director recalled how he kept waking up at night with visions of the final chapter. “I was supposed to do another movie in the meantime, but the image kept coming back. And I said, ‘All right, let’s do it.’”
In a surprise, Villeneuve brought out several cast members at the event, including Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy and Javier Bardem.
Zendaya, 29, reflected on how she spent her entire 20s working on the Dune films.
“They have such a special place in my heart,” the Euphoria (2019 to present) star said.
(From left) Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, Denis Villeneuve, Anya Taylor-Joy and Javier Bardem at a trailer launch event for Dune: Part Three on March 16.
PHOTO: WBEI
Pattinson, known for his appearances in The Twilight Saga film series (2008 to 2012) and The Batman (2022), joins the cast as antagonist Scytale.
“I absolutely adored these movies – I saw them multiple times in theatres,” he said.
“He’s a very unusual character in the book,” the 39-year-old added. “You can’t really tell whose side he’s on. He’s not a conventional bad guy – he might even be a good guy. Who knows?”
Villeneuve noted the final movie will take fans to new planets on sets that they have yet to see. REUTERS
