The first trailer for Dune: Part Three is finally here, and it wastes no time showing that victory comes at a cost. Set 17 years after the events of the second film, the story follows Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he rises to power, only to face the consequences of becoming both emperor and messiah.
What does the Dune 3 trailer reveal about Paul’s journey?
The teaser opens on a softer note, showing Paul and Chani (Zendaya) imagining a future together. “If we have a girl what should we name her?” she asks. Paul suggests Ghanima, while Chani says a boy should be named Leto, honoring his grandfather. It is a rare moment of calm, and it does not last.
You quickly see the weight Paul carries. “War feeds on itself,” he says. “The more I fight, the more enemies fight back.” He turns to Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), asking how his father handled it. Her reply is blunt. “Your father never started a war.” That line cuts straight through the myth surrounding Paul.
The cast of Dune 3 has some familiar faces and new ones too
The trailer teases a wide cast, including Stilgar (Javier Bardem), Paul’s sister Alia Atreides (Anya Taylor-Joy), Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), and Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), who is seen dying in the first Dune movie, but he’s back this time.
We also get a first look at the movie’s antagonist, Scytale (Robert Pattinson), who appears with a cold stare and striking blonde hair. There are flashes of large-scale battles and political tension, tied to Paul’s choices after taking power at the end of Dune 2.
It all builds to a tense final moment. Paul, now with a buzzed haircut, prepares for another fight. “I’m not afraid to die,” he says. “But I must not die yet.” In the end, Chani is also seen charging into an unknown opponent.
With a December 18, 2026, release date, Dune 3 is positioned as the closing chapter of a story that has already delivered massive box office success and critical acclaim.
The Dune universe has also expanded to television, with the prequel series Dune: Prophecy already released, set 10,000 years before Paul Atreides’ rise to power.