‘Dune 3’: Denis Villeneuve Unveils the Film’s First 7 Minutes at CinemaCon

The end of 2026 will bring the end of Denis Villeneuve’s acclaimed “Dune” trilogy, and the Oscar-nominated filmmaker was on hand at CinemaCon to show movie theater owners the first seven minutes of his upcoming blockbuster coming in December.

Consider yourself warned: spoilers are ahead.

The film opens with a shot of a dropship sending battalions of Fremen, the people of Arrakis who have sworn to serve the Lisan al-Gaib, Paul Atreides, onto a foreign planet. 17 years have passed since the events of the first two films, and Paul’s war against the other great houses of the galaxy for control of Spice and Arrakis rages on.

The Fremen soldiers step off the ship, awestruck at seeing rain for the first time after a lifetime on a desert planet where it is so scarce. Stilgar, played by Javier Bardem, leads them out to battle, but they are quickly ambushed by a barrage of gunfire that incinerates several of their ships and dozens of their men. Enormous towers burst out of the ground, decimating the Fremen with anti-aircraft fire as they flee for cover. The few that remain are shellshocked as their comrades are slain.

We then see in a new trailer a conversation between Paul Atreides and the ghola of his old friend Duncan Idaho, who warns him that he is “beyond redemption” as he sinks deeper into the war. Paul has relied on the foresight given to him in the events of “Part Two” to lead him, but he says that a “cloud” is now blocking it.

“How does it feel to be human like everyone else, Paul Atreides?” Chani asks him.

Villeneuve was joined at CinemaCon by the film’s cast, including Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya and Jason Momoa, who talked about how their characters are much worse for the wear after years of war.

“Paul is struggling to retain the parts of himself he values the most and trying to figure out how to still protect those who he loves while becoming an all-powerful dark emperor of the universe,” Chalamet said.

Zendaya said that Chani has also been put through the wringer like everyone else on Arrakis and that her “youthful outlook is completely gone” as she has watched the man she loved turn into a tyrant.

Warner Bros. had carved out the lucrative pre-Christmas release slot for “Dune 3” early, securing Imax screens worldwide. But last May, a twist came when Marvel Studios moved “Avengers: Doomsday” into the same release slot, sparking questions over whether “Dune” would move.

But insiders at Warner say a release date change was never remotely considered, and now theaters are about to be served a huge holiday season that fans of “Avengers” and “Dune” are calling “Dunesday,” a portmanteau endorsed by the films’ respective leads, Chalamet and Robert Downey Jr.

And given the film’s end-of-year slot, it would not be surprising if Warner Bros. gives the film a serious awards campaign alongside Alejandro Iñárritu and Tom Cruise’s “Digger,” especially considering that the previous two “Dune” films earned Best Picture Oscar nominations.

As for Villeneuve, he already has his post-“Dune” film lined up as he is set to direct the first James Bond film since the acquisition of the franchise by Amazon MGM and the departure of Daniel Craig from the lead role. Expect more news to come on that in 2027.

The post ‘Dune 3’: Denis Villeneuve Unveils the Film’s First 7 Minutes at CinemaCon appeared first on TheWrap.