Dune: Part Three aims for a December 2026 theatrical release as it finishes filming

Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three is the third and final instalment in the Dune film trilogy after Dune (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024). Based on Frank Herbert's 1969 novel Dune Messiah, the upcoming science fiction film wrapped up filming on November 11, 2025, after production began in July 2025 in Budapest, Hungary.

Featuring Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Zendaya as Chani, Dune: Part Three is scheduled for release on December 18, 2026. The film also features Florence Pugh, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem among other actors in its ensemble.

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Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three has officially wrapped up filming

Timothee Chalamet and Zendaya in Dune Part 2 (Image via Prime Video)

Dune: Part Three has officially wrapped up filming and is set for a release in late 2026. While Warner Bros. has not released official location details, production sources in Budapest confirm that the initial phase of the filming was held in Origo studios for indoor shots. This included building new Atreides chambers and extending existing sets for the return sequences to Caladan.

The exterior scenes are reportedly filmed both within the Budapest area and surrounding regions. The crew also travelled to the Middle East to film the required arid landscapes which included locations in Jordan and the UAE for the remaining desert photography.

The movie will adapt Frank Herbert's second novel, Dune Messiah, which is set 12 years after Paul Atreides' victory and ascension as Emperor. Besides Zendaya and Chalamet, Anya Taylor-Joy will return as Paul's sister, Alia Atreides, and Jason Momoa is also set to reprise his role as Duncan Idaho in his resurrected form.

Robert Pattinson, who is also joining the cast of Dune: Part Three, shared about the difficulties he faced during the film's production in the deserts. In an interview with IndieWire published on November 3, 2025, where he discussed about his film Die My Love, Pattinson stated:

“When I was doing Dune it was so hot in the desert that I just couldn’t question anything. And it was so relaxing, like my brain actually wasn’t operating, I did not have a single functioning brain cell. And I was just listening to Denis [Villeneuve]: “Whatever you want!”

The first two Dune films adapted Frank Herbert's original 1965 novel. Dune (2021) covered roughly the first half of the novel, focusing on the political intrigue, the arrival of House Atreides on Arrakis, and the destruction of the House, concluding as Paul and Lady Jessica join the Fremen.

Dune: Part Two (2024) completed the first novel, depicting Paul’s rise among the Fremen, his confrontation with the Emperor, and the start of the Holy War. Looking ahead Dune: Part Three will adapt Herbert’s second novel, Dune Messiah (1969), completing Paul Atreides' primary story arc as a trilogy that explores the dangers of the messiah figure.

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Dune: Part Three will hit the theatres on December 18, 2026. Stay tuned for more updates.

Edited by Suchita Patnaha