‘Dune: Part Three’ New Look Puts Paul on the Throne
Few film campaigns have been as methodical as the one for ‘Dune: Part Three’. Over the past several months, Warner Bros. has released character posters, trailers, staggered ticket sales, and format-specific promos, each one building on the last. The latest piece of artwork continues that pattern with a regal new look.
The campaign has had several distinct chapters. In March, character posters introduced an older, harder Paul Atreides marked by his reign, along with first looks at Robert Pattinson as Scytale and Isaach De Bankolé as Farok.
A July trailer arrived with a poster showing Paul and Chani seemingly squaring off, a visual hint at the strain in their relationship. Now Dune has shared a new poster for the film, which opens in theaters on December 18.
It’s built around Dolby Cinema, with a line at the top urging viewers to discover the epic conclusion in that format. The image shows a solitary figure on a green, angular throne at the top of a vast staircase beneath a golden dome, flanked by robed guards while a crowd of hooded figures gathers at the foot of the steps.
The throne imagery fits the story. ‘Dune: Part Three’ adapts Frank Herbert’s ‘Dune Messiah’ and is set about 17 years after the previous film, with Paul ruling as Emperor and facing the consequences of a holy war waged in his name. Timothée Chalamet’s character is described as a despotic ruler dealing with the fallout of his ascent, including threats of an insurgency.
New poster for ‘DUNE: PART 3’. In theaters on December 18. https://t.co/oFVNqb0Exw
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 20, 2026
Several outlets note that the composition echoes a recurring idea in the marketing about the burden of power. The poster uses the film’s title and date in a minimalist style, with Dolby’s branding giving it a clean, ceremonial look. Villeneuve has described the film as more action-packed and tense than his earlier entries, with the story centered on Paul navigating life with absolute power.
The poster didn’t arrive alone. According to Digg’s roundup, Cinemark promoted a new poster and advance tickets on October 20, while Film Updates identified an IMAX poster released the same day. WaterTower Music also announced that ‘Desert Chant’, a track by Chalamet and Hans Zimmer, is available, and Variety described it as the film’s first single.
The cast of ‘DUNE: PART THREE’ wants you to know that tickets are on sale now. https://t.co/yW9Qz9FyKn
— Film Updates (@FilmUpdates) October 20, 2026
The timing lines up with the opening of general pre-sales worldwide, which started the same day. It also coincides with a promotional attraction that’s coming up soon. ‘Dune: The Experience’ opens November 20 in downtown Los Angeles and runs through December 20, offering giant sandworms, real props, and the chance to sit on Paul’s throne, a fitting companion to a poster built around that very image.
The decision to feature Dolby Cinema says something about how the film is being sold. Warner Bros. has leaned on IMAX for much of the promotion, and the film is reported to hold a three-week global IMAX exclusivity window. Villeneuve shot the movie primarily on 65mm film, with some sequences on IMAX film cameras and the desert scenes on IMAX Digital, and the release is said to include 71 minutes in IMAX’s expanded aspect ratio.
Don’t wait. Tickets on sale now around the world. Dune: Part Three only in theaters and IMAX December 18. https://t.co/2uVNytBk6e #DuneMovie #FilmedForIMAX https://t.co/lVipBOaEPD
— DUNE (@dunemovie) October 20, 2026
But the studio is also courting other premium formats. A third round of ticket sales earlier this year indicated that other premium large-format screens, such as Dolby, and sneak peek fan screenings were on sale. A staggered rollout of early screenings begins with IMAX 70mm on December 14, followed by standard IMAX on December 15 and other premium formats on December 17.
Those formats will matter as the film goes up against ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which opens on the same day and leans on Dolby Cinema and Disney’s own premium certification instead of IMAX. A poster for Dune in Dolby Cinema is, in a way, a reminder that the battle for premium screens is being fought on every front.
With the release less than two months away, the marketing is only likely to intensify. If this latest poster is any guide, the studio is betting that the image of Paul on the throne will be one of the lasting symbols of the finale.
Which format are you choosing to watch Dune: Part Three in theaters?
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