Epic Dune 3 trailer reveals Timothée Chalamet's darker, more menacing look

Timothée Chalamet missed out the Best Actor Oscar this week in his role as the hero of Dune 2. Could he have a chance in 2027 with a more villainous performance?

No, I'm not referring to his baiting of artists in the opera and ballet worlds, but to his upcoming return as a much transformed Paul Atreides. Warner Bros just dropped the first Dune 3 trailer and a series of character posters, and they reveal a darker, more morally complex character wrestling with the responsibility of Messianic power.

The first Dune 3 trailer is a suitably epic tease for the final movie in Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy (the director has confirmed he's leaving the saga here, but that the door will be open for someone else to try to tackle the later books in Frank Herbert's series should they dare).

Set 17 years after Dune 2, the movie is shot for IMAX and promises even greater operatic scale and ambition, setting expectations high.

Warner Bros has also released a series of Dune 3 character posters. Again, Timothée is shown as a much fiercer and more menacing character, with scars around his eyes. Some fans are already predicting that the more complex interpretation of the role could win Timothée the Oscar that he missed out on Sunday, when Michael B. Jordan received the aware for his performance in Ryan Coogler's Sinners.

The posters also show Zendaya, whose commanding presence as Chani, suggests an expanded role. We also see Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother and Bene Gesserit member, Anya Taylor-Joy is Alia Atreides, Paul's sister, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, leader of the Fremen and Isaach De Bankolé as Farok.

More surprisingly, Jason Momoa is back as Duncan Idaho after his death in Part One, while Florence Pugh looks strikingly transformed as Princess Irulan.

But what's most surprised fans is the addition of Twilight and The Batman star Robert Pattinson as shape-shifting villain Scytale. He looks perfectly sinister in the role, both in the trailer and poster.

Dune Part 3 is based on Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah, which explores Paul’s rule after his rise to power. Although the movies have already departed from the novels, most notably by Paul and Chani parting ways at the end of Dune 2, Paul's hardened look suggests Dune 3 will at least follow the novels' tonal turn by portraying him no longer as a heroic underdog but a complex leader burdened by prophecy, political manipulation and the consequences of power.

In an interview before the launch of the trailer on TikTok, Dennis confirmed that Dune 3 will be a big departure from the first two movies, saying "the world changed" in the intervening years. He also described it as one of his most personal films.

Dune 3 will be released at cinemas on 18 December 2026 (people are already calling it Dunesday because Avengers: Doomsday is set to release on the same date.

In the meantime, check out our features on Dune 2 design secrets and the best Dune art from the book covers.