Warner Bros.The Dune franchise might be deep into the sands of Arrakis for the long haul. When the third Denis Villeneuve-directed Dune film is released, the current cinematic version of Frank Herbert’s saga will have gone further than most previous Dune adaptations have ever made it before. Other than the 2003 Sci-Fi Channel miniseries, Children of Dune — which adapted the second and third books — we’ve never had Dune sequels continue the story like this.But what is the third new Dune film all about? What is the meaning of Dune: Messiah? Who is in the cast? What is the plot? And perhaps, most importantly, will the release date of Dune: Part Three really coincide with Avengers: Doomsday? Here’s everything we know about Dune: Part Three. Spoilers ahead for the book versions of Dune Messiah (1969) and Children of Dune (1976).What is the Dune 3 Release Date?Warner Bros. Pictures will release Dune: Part Three in theaters on December 18, 2026. Dune: Part Three completes Paul Atreides’ story. | Warner Bros.What is the actual title of Dune 3?Because the first two movies adapted the first novel, the third movie will adapt the second book, Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah. In terms of length, Dune Messiah is much shorter than Dune, meaning there are far fewer pages to adapt, hence, only one movie. Although previous reports indicated that Dune 3 would be titled Dune Messiah, in reference the second novel, on July 8, 2025, Variety revealed that the actual title of the movie is simply Dune: Part Three.Is Dunesday Real?On May 22, 2025, The Hollywood Reporter noted that Avengers: Doomsday, originally scheduled for May 2026, is now slated for December 18, 2026. This would put Dune: Part Three, and Avengers: Doomsday in competition on the exact same day, leading many movie fans to declare this the next “Barbenheimer” moment; a time when two massive films hit theaters at the exact same time, dubbing this hypothetical double release “Dunesday.”So is Dunesday happening? Yes, and it’s resulted in a peculiar showdown over the two films’ IMAX screens. Dune 3 won IMAX exclusivity in U.S. theaters, meaning the film has a lock on every IMAX screen throughout the country for three weeks. This is a huge boon for Dune 3, as many major sequences were shot using IMAX cameras. Meanwhile, Avengers: Doomsday will only be displayed in IMAX in “select international markets” while domestic showings will show in something Disney dubs “Infinity Vision,” which will likely just be Dolby.Who is the Cast of Dune 3?Robert Pattinson plays the movie’s villain, Scytale. | Warner Bros.Because the film features many of the surviving characters from Dune: Part Two, nearly all the cast is expected to return. Here’s who we can expect in the cast of Dune: Part Three.Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides Zendaya as ChaniFlorence Pugh as Princess IrulanJavier Bardem as StilgarAnya Taylor-Joy (who appeared in a flash forward in Part Two) as Alia Atreides, Paul’s sisterRebecca Ferguson as Lady JessicaRobert Pattinson as Scytale, a shape-shifting “Face Dancer” and the primary villain of the filmJosh Brolin as GurneyJason Momoa as Hayt/Duncan Idaho (after perishing in Dune: Part One, Duncan is resurrected as a ghola in Dune Messiah.)Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke as Leto II Atreides and Ghanima Atreides, respectively, Paul and Chani's twin childrenWhat is the Plot of Dune 3?Paul and Chani ruling the galaxy in a future vision from Dune: Part One. | Warner Bros/LegendaryThe final moments of Dune: Part Two showed Stilgar leading an army of loyal Fremen to wage a holy crusade on Paul’s enemies throughout the galaxy. This more or less lines up with the original Dune book, though the capitulation of the combined forces of the great houses is a little different. Dune: Part Two also ended with Chani, furious that Paul was marrying Irulan for political reasons, striking out on her own on a sandworm, which was a unique scene created for the film.That said, despite the tonal departure from the book in the ending of Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve has said that Dune: Part Three will be pretty faithful to the Frank Herbert novel. “It’s not that different,” he said at the 2025 Saturn Awards. “At the end of the book, Chani’s heart is broken.”So what happens after Paul’s conquest ends? That’s the plot of Dune Messiah. The novel picks up 12 years after Paul’s jihad has concluded, and focuses on a conspiracy to overthrow him. The novel features Alia, Paul’s sister, as a major character, who, at the end of Dune: Part Two, hadn’t even been born yet. (This was another major change in the 2024 film.) So, because Alia is a teenager in the book, and we know Anya Taylor-Joy is playing her in the movie, it’s possible that the film will alter the timeline a bit to make Alia older. (There’s a precedent for this: the 2003 Children of Dune rendered Paul and Chani’s kids, Leto II and Ghanima, as young adults in the story, rather than outright kids like they were in the novel.)The story also features a pseudo-clone of Duncan Idaho, a ghola created by the Bene Tleilax, a sneaky group of genetically altered humans. The ghola Duncan has creepy, metallic, nonhuman eyes and is involved in the conspiracy to destroy Paul. The novel also focuses heavily on Paul’s prescient visions, trapping him in a predetermined fate, which he fears will result in Chani’s demise during childbirth. This one specific detail is very similar to the journey of Anakin Skywalker in Revenge of the Sith, though George Lucas never publicly acknowledged being inspired by Dune Messiah 20 years ago.Is there a trailer for Dune 3?Yes! A teaser trailer was released in March 2026, teasing a battle-worn Paul Atreides, fighting enemies on all sides.But most intriguingly, the trailer teased Alia (Anya Taylor-Joy) as a full-grown adult who has amassed power as a religious figure — a plot advancement that doesn’t happen until Children of Dune. That lends to the theory that Dune: Part Three will be not only be adapting Dune: Messiah but elements of its sequel, Children of Dune. Is Dune 3 the last Dune movie?Gareth Edwards and Director Denis Villeneuve in 2024. | Dave Benett/Dave Benett Collection/Getty ImagesDenis Villeneuve has made it clear that he “always saw a trilogy” when it came to making his Dune films. He’s also pointed out that adapting Messiah would complete the story of Paul Atreides, which is vaguely true. Messiah is certainly the last Dune novel in which Paul is a main character, though he does appear in the third book, Children of Dune.In fact, some rumors suggest that an adaptation of Children of Dune, or some other kind of fourth Dune movie, might be happening, and that movie could be directed by Gareth Edwards. Clearly, the live-action Dune saga could continue without Villeneuve. The prequel series Dune: Prophecy is already gearing up for a second season. Meanwhile, hypothetical sequels beyond Children of Dune would require all-new characters, meaning that, other than Jason Momoa’s Duncan Idaho, for most of the cast, Dune Messiah would be the end of the sandwormy road.Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two both stream on HBO Max.The Spice Must FlowAmazon -