One of the most anticipated films of the year, the third part of “Dune,” will be released on December 18. We're telling you everything we know about Denis Villeneuve's new film.
Well, it seems Timothée Chalamet has no plans to take a break. Just a week ago, he was at the Oscars, where he competed for the award in the “best actor” category, and very soon he will go on a promotional tour for his next blockbuster – the third and final part of Denis Villeneuve's Dune franchise.
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The first trailer for the film was released on March 17th, and it's a real adrenaline rush. At the center is Paul Atreides, played by Chalamet, who is preparing for war. Next to him: Chani (Zendaya), Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), who… returns from the dead (more on that later). The cast is also joined by new players: the pale, eerily charismatic villain Skytail, played by Robert Pattinson, and Alia, Paul's formidable younger sister, played by Anya Taylor-Joy.
Also appearing on screen are: the terrifyingly flawless Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling), the charismatic and theatrical Fremen leader Stilgar (Javier Bardem), Isaac de Bankole as a dissident Fremen, and Momoa's son, Nakoa-Wulf Momoa, along with Ida Brooke as children Paul and Chani.
And that's not all. According to Deadline, during a special event with Villeneuve, Zendaya, Bardem, Taylor-Joy and Pattinson, even more details were revealed. Most importantly? The third film takes place 17 years after the second part of “Dune.”
“It will be a completely different film,” Villeneuve confirmed. “Yes, it's Dune, but with a different tone, a different rhythm and pace. It's more intense, more muscular than the previous parts. And the action takes place many years later – like in the book Dune: Messiah – which gives a new perspective on what happened to Paul Atreides. We see how he lives with the consequences of excessive power and tries to escape this cycle of violence. And, of course, he is an emperor who sees the future – almost invulnerable. But we will also follow those who seek to overthrow him. It is a very intense story. And at the same time – a love story. The heart of the film is the relationship between Paul and Chani.”
The director himself calls the film “the most personal” of his career: it's the story of Paul and Chani – about love tested by the pressures of the world, about responsibility and trying to escape a fatal cycle of violence. “There's something very intimate about the way their relationship changes over time,” he adds.
What about Jason Momoa returning, despite his character dying in the first film? “He created such a charismatic character that his death literally broke our hearts,” Villeneuve explains. “And the desire to see him again was so strong. He's coming back at the moment when it matters the most. It's a very important return. Paul is going through an identity crisis right now, and having such a powerful figure from the past come back will have a huge impact. Let's just say he's really back.”
However, if the film follows the plot of “Dune: Messiah,” Momoa is not exactly Duncan. His character is a ghola (an artificially created person, a copy of a deceased person) that is given to Paul. And accepting this “gift” sets off a series of fatal events.
How closely the film adaptation—which Villeneuve worked on with Brian K. Vaughan—will recreate Frank Herbert's novel remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: we're in for a real rollercoaster ride. So buckle up.