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Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet unveiled an action-packed new trailer for “Dune: Part Three,” marking the latest and most comprehensive look at the highly anticipated final chapter in his sci-fi trilogy.
The Oscar-nominated
filmmaker and his star unveiled the new footage before an audience full of “Dune” devotees and press in Los Angeles, while the global Imax fan event was simulcast in Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Montreal, London, Berlin, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi. The footage from Warner Bros and Legendary Pictures’ epic will be shown ahead of Imax 70mm screenings of “The Odyssey.”
The new film sees Chalamet return as Paul Atreides, continuing the story after his ascent to power at the end of “Dune: Part Two.” Inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel “Dune Messiah,” the third installment takes place 17 years after the events of the previous film and explores the consequences of Paul’s rule as Emperor. And things are getting…dark. Really, really dark. As lovers of the first film know, Paul is blessed with visions of the future, but his mind has grown clouded since assuming control of the galaxy.
“The future has a way of talking to me,” Paul intones. “I can’t see what’s ahead.”
And Paul has a new adversary in Robert Pattinson as Scytale, a shapeshifter who wants to dethrone the emperor. “We plan to strike the core of imperial power,” Scytale says. Making it clear that he wants nothing short of “regime change.”
In a Q&A following the trailer debut, Chalamet teased that Paul’s moral crisis is teased in the books and part of what Herbert wanted to say about the corruptive influence of power by offering “a warning tale” about “charismatic leaders.”
The trailer also highlights Zendaya as Fremen warrior Chani, whose romance with Paul has grown complicated with his marriage to Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), and who wants a child. There’s also plenty of Duncan Idaho, the fearsome warrior who died defending Paul and his mother (Rebecca Ferguson), and who has been resurrected as a ghola. He’s sent as a gift to Paul by Scytale. In one sequence, the ghola version of Duncan has a telling exchange with Paul.
Duncan: I think you’re way beyond redemption.
Paul: Why are you here ?
Duncan: To deliver a peace proposal?
Paul: Peace is a good thing. Why should I refuse?
Duncan: Because it’s meant to destroy you.
Villeneuve previously described the film as a tonal shift from the earlier entries, noting that while the first installment was more contemplative and the second functioned as a war movie, the third is “more action-packed and tense.” He has also called “Dune: Part Three” his “most personal” of the trilogy, emphasizing the emotional core of Paul and Chani’s relationship as it evolves under mounting political and personal pressure.
And Paul certainly seems more shaken, less strident than in the previous films, having unleashed a wave of intergalactic bloodletting. “Forgive me for all I’ve done,” Paul says as the teaser ends.
Returning cast members include Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Pugh, whose role as Princess Irulan expands in the new film. Anya Taylor-Joy also reprises her role as Alia Atreides. New additions to the cast include not only Pattinson, but Isaach de Bankolé, as Paul’s former Fedaykin death commando.
Villeneuve reunites with Legendary for the project, with key collaborators including composer Hans Zimmer and a returning creative team across costume design, production design and editing. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren joins the franchise for the third installment.
“Dune: Part Three” will debut in theaters on Dec. 18, as Villeneuve brings his adaptation of Herbert’s saga to a close.
“I had to tell myself to savor it,” Chalamet said during the Q&A, noting “how rare it is to work on something of an artistic level.”
Villeneuve said bringing the trilogy to screens had taken a decade.
“It was the privilege of my life to work with all of you,” he said, while turning to Chalamet.
