‘Dune: Part Three’ Officially Titled, Will Include IMAX Footage — But Not Fully Shot in Format
Warner Bros.
Denis Villeneuve’s return to Arrakis is officially underway, with “Dune: Part Three” now in pre-production and preparing to shoot with IMAX cameras — though not exclusively.
The sand keeps shifting in the Dune universe — and now, it’s official. Denis Villeneuve’s highly anticipated third installment in the sci-fi epic will be titled Dune: Part Three, confirming its continuation of the saga that began with 2021’s Dune and followed by this year’s Dune: Part Two. The film, adapting Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah, will once again follow Paul Atreides as he grapples with the spiritual and political consequences of becoming a messianic emperor on a galaxy-wide stage.
Though early speculation suggested the project might be titled Dune Messiah, the confirmed title aligns more closely with Warner Bros. and Legendary’s branding strategy — leaning into serialized, blockbuster continuity. On Rentrak, the industry’s box office tracking system, the film is now officially listed under the Part Three title.
In terms of presentation, the movie will include sequences filmed with IMAX cameras, though contrary to recent rumors, it will not be shot entirely in the format. IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond initially suggested in a CNBC interview that Villeneuve’s third Dune entry would be fully shot with proprietary IMAX equipment, following in the footsteps of Christopher Nolan’s upcoming The Odyssey, which is the first feature to be produced entirely in IMAX film format. However, industry insiders have since clarified that Part Three will only partially utilize IMAX cameras.
Gelfond’s statement seemed to blend updates about Dune with breaking news about Villeneuve’s appointment to direct Amazon MGM’s reboot of the James Bond franchise. “He’s making the next Dune — with IMAX cameras, he’s filming the whole thing,” Gelfond said, before adding: “So we haven’t started talking yet, but I’m praying that that’s the case with Bond.”
While Legendary Entertainment has yet to comment, the correction offers a reminder of how nuanced the IMAX label has become in the digital age. Bruce Markoe, Senior Vice President of Post-Production at IMAX, recently explained the distinction: “Movies shot with our film cameras receive that kind of nomenclature,” he said. “That’s different from ‘Filmed for IMAX’ features, which use certified digital cameras and similar workflows — but not our proprietary film system.”
Filming on Dune: Part Three is slated to begin imminently, with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya returning, and Jason Momoa confirmed to reprise his role after sitting out Part Two. The film is expected to hit theaters in December 2026 — a full two years after the previous installment.
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But despite the title, Villeneuve himself has pushed back against framing this as the final chapter in a trilogy. “For me, it was really a diptych,” he said in a 2024 interview, referring to Parts One and Two as a two-part adaptation of Herbert’s original novel. “If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”
With sci-fi spectacle and philosophical introspection once again on the horizon, Dune: Part Three is poised to expand not just the cinematic universe of Arrakis, but Villeneuve’s bold exploration of power, prophecy, and consequence.
