New Dune: Part Three trailer puts Paul Atreides under siege
Warner Bros.' latest look at Denis Villeneuve’s sequel shows Paul facing Chani’s anger, political plots and the cost of empire.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Warner Bros. has released a new trailer for Dune: Part Three, giving the clearest look yet at Denis Villeneuve’s next chapter in the science-fiction series. The footage matters for fans because it moves the story beyond Paul Atreides’ rise and into the fallout from the war he unleashed.
The film is based on Frank Herbert’s Dune: Messiah, and Villeneuve has said it takes place roughly 17 years after the end of Dune: Part Two. According to the official premise, Paul, now known and feared as Muad’Dib, rules as emperor while facing enemies among the political houses he displaced and a conspiracy close to his own circle.
The trailer centers on Paul’s damaged relationship with Chani. Warner Bros.’ footage shows the two arguing, with Chani accusing Paul of betraying the future he promised her before he seized power and waged war across the universe.
That conflict follows the ending of Dune: Part Two, in which Paul defeated the emperor’s champion, demanded Princess Irulan as his wife and ordered a holy war after the Great Houses refused to accept him. Chani, refusing to submit to Paul’s rule, left him on Arrakis by riding away on a sandworm.
The new footage also highlights the return of Duncan Idaho in a changed form. Jason Momoa is back as Duncan, also identified as Hayt, a reanimated ghola who carries Duncan’s memories and appears in the trailer with a warning that a peace offer sent to Paul is designed to ruin him.
Political intrigue appears to drive much of the film. The trailer points to Princess Irulan and Scytale among those connected to a plan against Paul, though the footage suggests Irulan is alarmed by Scytale’s willingness to kill Paul in pursuit of regime change. Paul’s prescience, established in Dune: Part Two, makes any plot against him more dangerous for those involved.
Chani may also be taking action of her own. Warner Bros.’ trailer shows her alone in the Arrakis desert, where she appears to call a sandworm that rushes toward her before stopping nearby.
The returning cast includes Timothée Chalamet as Paul, Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica. Josh Brolin returns as Gurney Halleck, and Javier Bardem is back as Stilgar.
The film also adds Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia, Paul’s younger sister, and Robert Pattinson as Scytale. Isaach de Bankolé plays Farok, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa plays Leto II Atreides, and Ida Brooke plays Ghanima Atreides.
The trailer ends on a remorseful Paul asking forgiveness for what he has done. Dune: Part Three is scheduled to open in theaters on Dec. 18, 2026.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.