The Next ‘Dune’ Movie Gets a Title — and It’s Not What Fans Expected

Denis Villeneuve’s next “Dune” movie finally has a name: “Dune: Part Three.” Some fans thought it might be called “Dune Messiah,” after Frank Herbert’s 1969 book, but on Rentrak, the official title is simply “Dune: Part Three.” This new film will follow Paul “Muad’Dib” Atreides as he steps into his role as emperor.

The movie will feature scenes shot with IMAX cameras, but it won’t be filmed entirely using them. That’s different from Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey,” which is so far the only movie shot completely with IMAX cameras.

This caused some confusion after IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond gave an interview on CNBC. He seemed to say that the whole “Dune: Part Three” would be filmed with IMAX cameras, but later it became clear he misspoke.

When asked about Villeneuve directing the new James Bond movie for Amazon MGM Studios, Gelfond mentioned the upcoming “Dune” movie. “From a personal point of view, I was really happy. I like him. I think he’s a genius filmmaker,” Gelfond said. “He’s so creative. He’s making the next ‘Dune’ — with IMAX cameras, he’s filming the whole thing. So we haven’t started talking yet, but I’m praying that that’s the case with Bond.”

Legendary Entertainment, which is producing “Dune: Part Three,” has not commented on these details. Gelfond also talked about how popular IMAX screenings have been recently. He pointed out that movies like “F1” and “Mission: Impossible — The Final Reckoning” made a big chunk of their box office money from IMAX theaters. “Think of 20% of the box office, when we’re less than 1% of the screens. The public is really demanding it,” he said.

Filming for the new “Dune” movie will start soon. Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya are returning, and Jason Momoa is confirmed to be back as well. Momoa was in the first “Dune” movie but didn’t appear in the second.

Villeneuve explained that he sees the first two “Dune” films as a diptych — basically two parts of one story covering the first book. “If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity,” he told reporters last year.

In a separate interview with Variety, Bruce Markoe, IMAX’s senior VP and head of post-production, clarified what it means when a movie is “shot with IMAX.” He said there’s a difference between movies made with IMAX’s actual film cameras and those “Filmed for IMAX” using digital cameras.

The ones shot on film get special care and close work with filmmakers because they use IMAX’s unique cameras. Digital movies that are certified for IMAX don’t have quite the same process.

“Dune: Part Three” is expected to arrive in theaters in December 2026.

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