Denis Villeneuve, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya Unveil “Dune: Part Three” Trailer

The sandstorms of Arrakis are returning — but this time, the rhythm has shifted.

At an exclusive trailer event in Los Angeles, director Denis Villeneuve stood alongside stars Zendaya, franchise newcomer Robert Pattinson, Javier Bardem, and Anya Taylor-Joy to pull back the curtain on the highly anticipated Dune: Part Three (adapted from Frank Herbert’s 1969 book, Dune Messiah).

The atmosphere was electric as Villeneuve explained that this third instalment wasn’t born out of a studio mandate, but a visceral reaction to the global “wave of excitement and love” from the fans.

The Québécois filmmaker admitted that, after the gruelling production of the first two films, he initially planned to step away. However, the haunting imagery of Frank Herbert’s world refused to leave him. “I felt an appetite for the third movie that I was not expecting,” Villeneuve shared. “I went back home and messaged my crew that I’m taking a break. And I went back home and then I kept waking in the middle of the night with those images and I said, ‘Alright, let’s do it.'”

He views this final chapter as a completion of a promise. “As a filmmaker, you make those movies, it’s like you are in a relationship with the audience and I felt a responsibility to finish the story.”

“Cinema is linked with life. As human beings, it’s important to share communal experiences. In our lives right now, we’re in our little bubbles. I think that theatre, like some events or concerts, brings us together, and there’s something beautiful and human about that.”Denis Villeneuve

Fans expecting a carbon copy of Dune: Part Two are in for a surprise. Villeneuve was adamant that Dune: Part Three is a “very different movie,” shifting the genre entirely. While the first was about contemplation and the second was a war film, he describes the third as a muscular thriller.

The story picks up 17 years after the events of the second film. Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) is now an Emperor grappling with the “consequences of having too much power.” Villeneuve promised a “different tone, with a different rhythm and a different pace,” adding that he is approaching the world with a “critical eye” rather than nostalgia. But the director insisted that the soul of the franchise remains intact: “The heartbeat of the film is still the relationship between Paul and Chani. It’s a study on the relationship of characters that is very versatile.”

Visually, the film aims to push the boundaries of the IMAX format even further. Villeneuve confirmed they are visiting “new sets, new places” and areas of the planet never before seen on screen. Much of the movie was shot on 65mm and IMAX film — a first for Villeneuve. The director also revealed he chose to keep the desert scenes in digital IMAX “because I like the brutality of the digital IMAX. So, the movie is really meant to be an IMAX experience and to be seen on the biggest screen possible.” For the score, Hans Zimmer is already hard at work. “Just like the movie is different, the score would be different,” Villeneuve noted.

“I value IMAX because it is the most immersive format and at the end of the day, cinema is an art form that is meant to make you travel. You experience things that you will not live in a regular life and the idea of those stories is to make you experience something that will bring something new in your life.”

“[Dune: Part Three] is one of my most personal films, if not my most personal film. It’s a film that is very close to me and it’s very contemporary.” Denis Villeneuve

He continued: “It’s Wim Wenders who said, ‘A great film makes you want to kick a ball when you get out of the theatre.’ The idea that cinema is linked with life. As human beings, it’s important to share communal experiences. In our lives right now, we’re in our little bubbles. I think that theatre, like some events or concerts, brings us together, and there’s something beautiful and human about that. It’s very important.”

Zendaya, who has become the emotional anchor of the series, reflected on the decade-long journey. “I’ve literally been able to grow up in my entire 20s doing them,” she said. While she remained tight-lipped about plot specifics, she teased an expanded dynamic with Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan). “I love Florence Pugh. So talented… we only got like one scene together [previously]. I hope we get more… it’s quite the journey.”

The biggest enigma of the evening was Robert Pattinson, who joins as Scytale. “He’s an unusual character in the book and you can’t really tell whose side he’s on,” Pattinson remarked. “I don’t think he’s a conventional bad guy, but he might even be a good guy. Who knows? I will also find out,” he added with a laugh. 

The film also stars Javier Bardem, who plays Fremen leader Stilgar, Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulen and Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho, who also makes a return. 

Villeneuve concluded by adding: “It is one of my most personal films, if not my most personal film. It’s a film that is very close to me and it’s very contemporary.” When asked why it’s one that he holds dearly, he explained: “That is because it tells the story about Paul and Chani, they’re struggling with the relationship and having the burden and incredible pressure from the world around them and Paul to find a way out of the cycle of violence and and there’s something about their love [that] endures time and the way their relationship evolves, that study on the relationship of both characters is very personal to me.”

The trailer depicts epic action set pieces and a film that’s bound to be bigger — in scale and scope — than ever before. Nine character posters were also unveiled (as seen above). 

Dune: Part Three is in theatres December 18.

FEATURE PHOTO COURTESY OF WARNER BROS. PICTURES.

The post Denis Villeneuve, Robert Pattinson, and Zendaya Unveil “Dune: Part Three” Trailer appeared first on Sharp Magazine.