Dune: Part Three unveiled its first footage and it sounds like it’s already shown at least one major divergence from the books.
It’s no secret that Dune: Part Three is one of the most anticipated films of 2026. The conclusion of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s sci-fi masterpiece has already produced two films that have collectively grossed over a billion dollars at the box office. A third film was a natural choice, this one adapting Herbert's second book in the series, Dune Messiah.
At the CinemaCon event, Villeneuve appeared with Timothée Chalamet (Paul Atreides), Zendaya (Chani), and Jason Momoa (a resurrected Duncan Idaho) to premiere the film’s seven-minute opening sequence.
Per Deadline, the clip takes place on a constantly raining planet (perhaps the Atreides homeworld of Caladan?) as a fleet of Fremen ships attacks. The warriors, chanting “God be with us,” charge into battle, led by Stilgar (Javier Bardem). According to the reports, what happens next is an epic battle scene on par with any war film.
This promises some dramatic turns, but also points to the movie taking some departures from the novels that may add a new dimension to its epic story.
How will Dune: Part Three differ from the books?
Like Dune Messiah, the third film takes place 17 years after the end of Part Two. Paul has now crowned himself Emperor, married Princess Irulun (Florence Pugh), and sparked a full-on religious jihad across the universe that’s killed billions.
In the novel that's brushed over, but it seems the movie will show that very war across the galaxies. That will only emphasize Paul falling deeper into his role as a literal god among men. Paul will also learn the hard way that it’s hard to convince your followers to stop the crusade you started. That’s proven by another scene where a resurrected Duncan tells Paul he’s “way beyond redemption.”
Chalamet told the CinemaCon crowd that Paul has “become his worst vision and he’s struggling to … figure out how to protect those he loves while becoming the all-powerful dark emperor of the universe.” Villeneuve claims the film is “a redemption story,” although it’s also about how Paul has to “grapple with the consequences of his actions.”
There will be some other alterations from the books. For example, Paul’s mother, Jessica, doesn’t appear in Dune Messiah, but Rebecca Ferguson has confirmed she appears in the movie; we even see her in the first trailer. That may lead to other alterations even as the film keeps to the spirit of the tale.
Expanding on Paul’s crusade is a smart move by Villeneuve. It’s okay for the book to just jump ahead in time and reference the Fremen wars as background. The movies need to show that to better sell how far Paul has come in his crusade and to emphasize the damage his actions have caused. Not to mention it provides the action spectacle that makes this a big-screen epic.
We still have to wait to see this footage released, but it sounds like Dune: Part Three will be the biggest and best entry yet to bring this stunning epic to a grand conclusion!
Dune: Part Three premieres in theaters and IMAX on December 18, 2026.
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