“Dune: Part Three” is moving closer, like a sandworm closing in on its prey.
The third — and reportedly final — chapter in Denis Villeneuve’s epic saga based on the work of novelist Frank Herbert arrives in theaters Dec. 18, setting up a head-to-head showdown with Marvel Studios’ highly anticipated “Avengers: Doomsday.” But judging by this new trailer, it’s the superheroes who should be worried. Watch it below.
“Dune: Part Three,” which adapts Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel “Dune Messiah,” follows Paul (Timothée Chalamet), who is no longer an outcast or a refugee. In this installment, he is the emperor of the known galaxy. Florence Pugh’s Irulan is now Paul’s wife, while Zendaya’s Chani is his former lover.
And yes, Jason Momoa is back. Not as Duncan Idaho, the hotshot warrior and one of Paul’s mentors, but as Hayt, a clone (known as a ghola in “Dune” lore) reanimated from Idaho’s genetic material. Much of the new trailer centers on his return and the impact his reappearance has on the larger world.
Anya Taylor-Joy plays Paul’s now fully grown sister, while Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Rampling, Josh Brolin and Javier Bardem also return.
New to the “Dune” fold are Robert Pattinson as the film’s chief antagonist, Scytale, and Isaach de Bankolé as a former loyalist who becomes disillusioned with Paul’s rule.
Legendary comic book writer Brian K. Vaughan joined Villeneuve in adapting the novel. Cinematographer Linus Sandgren takes over for Greig Fraser, who is hard at work on Sam Mendes’ four Beatles biopics, while composer Hans Zimmer and editor Joe Walker return from the previous two “Dune” films.
Of course, once Villeneuve wraps up his time on Arrakis, he’ll head to more familiar territory as he prepares the next installment in the long-running James Bond franchise. He’ll cast a new Bond to lead the next wave of films, following the celebrated runs of Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan as 007, the iconic British spy created by novelist Ian Fleming.
“Dune: Part Three” arrives in theaters, including large-format specialty screens like Imax, from Legendary and Warner Bros. on Dec. 18.
