Dune 3 will reportedly start filming this summer, a year earlier than expected

Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides in one of the best sci-fi movies of all time, Dune Part 2.
(Image credit: Warner Bros)

Dune 3 will start filming this June and not in 2026 as previously reported, according to Deadline.

Last October, director Denis Villeneuve tentatively said production would start next year, but we know now that it'll be his next project. "I was expecting to do something else before, but frankly, that's the inspiration that came to my mind as I took a break this summer and was going back and finishing the story," he said earlier this month.

"I was really moved by the way Part Two was received by cinephiles around the world, and I felt an appetite and a desire to see more and a responsibility to finish that story."

He may be excited to return to the world of Paul Atreides, but Dune 3, titled Dune: Messiah, is set to be Villeneuve's last movie in the franchise, even though there are other books to adapt. "After that, it would become unhealthy," he told The Wrap in January.

Dune: Part Two, which was released in March 2024, is up for five awards at this year's Oscars, including Best Picture and Best Cinematography. The sequel also took home the gongs for Best Sound and Best Special Visual Effects at last night's BAFTAs.

Villeneuve's adaptation of Frank Herbert's sci-fi epic stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Dave Bautista, and Javier Bardem.

Dune 3 doesn't have a release date yet. While we wait for more updates, get up to speed with this year's upcoming movies with our guide to 2025's biggest movie release dates.

Entertainment Writer

I’m an Entertainment Writer here at 12DOVE, covering everything film and TV-related across the Total Film and SFX sections. I help bring you all the latest news and also the occasional feature too. I’ve previously written for publications like HuffPost and i-D after getting my NCTJ Diploma in Multimedia Journalism.