Denis Villeneuve is getting ready to film the third Dune movie, and there are some major changes. According to reporter Jeff Sneider, Zendaya will have a smaller role in this next film and Timothée Chalamet’s character, Paul Atreides, will be more in the background this time around. The plot will focus more on new characters played by Anya Taylor-Joy, Florence Pugh, and Jason Momoa instead. Taylor-Joy is rumored to play Paul’s younger sister, Alia. Pugh plays Princess Irulan, Paul’s wife. And Momoa somewhat returns as Duncan Idaho. He was killed in the first movie, but in the future flick he’ll comes back as a clone, known as a ghola.
These changes might sound abrupt, but they tie in the events of the Dune Messiah book, which this movie is based on. That novel puts less focus on Paul and more on the people around him, especially Alia and Duncan’s clone.
In the last film, Chani, played by Zendaya, left Paul after he led the Fremen into war. That’s different from the book, where she stays with him. So this next movie may need to adjust parts of the story to match what Villeneuve already set up.
There’s also a big 12-year time jump between Dune: Part Two and Messiah, which gives the filmmakers room to explore new storylines and characters. Even if Paul isn’t the main focus, his journey is still an important part of the trilogy.
Filming for Dune 3 starts this summer, and the movie is expected to release on December 18, 2026.
