Dune: Part Three opens in theaters on Friday, December 18, 2026. IMAX 70mm insider screenings start on Monday, December 14. Denis Villeneuve’s final Dune film adapts Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah and picks up 17 years after Part Two, with Paul Atreides now Emperor. It has the IMAX screens to itself for three weeks, and it opens the same day as Avengers: Doomsday.
| US release date | December 18, 2026 |
| Early screenings | IMAX 70mm insider screenings December 14; previews December 17 |
| Runtime | About 150 minutes (2 hr 30 min); Ireland’s classification office lists 151 minutes |
| Rating | 12A in Ireland; US rating not yet published |
| Director | Denis Villeneuve |
| Screenplay | Denis Villeneuve and Brian K. Vaughan |
| Based on | Dune Messiah (1969) by Frank Herbert |
| Studio / distributor | Legendary Pictures / Warner Bros. Pictures |
| Starring | Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Jason Momoa, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, Javier Bardem, Josh Brolin |
| Music | Hans Zimmer |
| Formats | IMAX and IMAX 70mm (three-week exclusive window), then Dolby, ScreenX and other premium formats |
| Place in the series | Third and final film of Villeneuve’s trilogy |
Dune: Part Three Release date and Time
Tickets are on sale, and many IMAX 70mm shows are already sold out. Book now if you want IMAX on opening weekend.
| Date | What happens |
| Mon, Dec 14, 2026 | IMAX 70mm insider screenings |
| Thu, Dec 17, 2026 | Preview shows |
| Fri, Dec 18, 2026 | Wide release |
| Dec 18, 2026 to early Jan 2027 | Three-week IMAX exclusive window; Avengers: Doomsday does not play in US IMAX during this time |
| Jan 14, 2027 | Last IMAX 70mm show currently scheduled |
Why IMAX 70mm matters for this film?
Villeneuve shot most of the film on 65mm film, with selected sequences on 15/70mm IMAX film, and IMAX says 71 minutes were shot for IMAX. Only 34 theaters in the US and Canada have an IMAX 70mm film projector, so those seats are the hardest to get. The first wave of IMAX 70mm tickets in April 2026 sold out within minutes. A second sale on August 18 crashed ticketing sites.
Where to see it in IMAX 70mm?
notable venues include AMC Lincoln Square (New York), TCL Chinese Theatre (Hollywood), AMC Universal CityWalk and Regal LA Live (Los Angeles), AMC Metreon (San Francisco), Arizona Mills (Tempe) and Opry Mills (Nashville). In Canada, the venues include Mississauga, Vaughan, Calgary, Edmonton and Montreal.
Sold out where you are
Returned seats and newly added shows appear regularly. Free tools such as 70mm IMAX Tracker email you when seats open. You still book on the theater’s own site. Regular digital IMAX (laser) screens are far more common, and are still the best choice after 70mm.
In the UK
London’s BFI IMAX sold about 33,000 advance tickets in 24 hours, a record for the venue.
When will Dune: Part 3 stream?
No date has been announced. Dune: Part Two reached digital purchase about six weeks after release and HBO Max about two and a half months after release. If Part Three follows the same pattern, expect digital purchase around February 2027 and HBO Max around March 2027. This is an estimate.
Dune vs. Avengers: the “Dunesday” weekend
Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday both open on December 18, 2026. Dune won the three-week IMAX exclusive, so in the US you can only see Avengers in Dolby and other premium formats during that period. Many fans plan to see both, as people did with Barbie and Oppenheimer in 2023.
Also read: Where to Watch Godzilla Minus Zero (2026): Streaming, Theaters & Digital
Dune: Part Three Cast and characters
Most of the Part Two cast returns, joined by Robert Pattinson as a new villain and Anya Taylor-Joy in a larger role as Paul’s sister Alia.
| Actor | Character | Who they are |
| Timothée Chalamet | Paul Atreides | Now Padishah Emperor of the known universe |
| Zendaya | Chani | The Fremen woman Paul loves |
| Florence Pugh | Princess Irulan | Paul’s wife in name only, for political reasons |
| Rebecca Ferguson | Lady Jessica | Paul’s mother |
| Anya Taylor-Joy | Alia Atreides | Paul’s sister, born with ancestral memories |
| Jason Momoa | Hayt | A clone (ghola) of Duncan Idaho, who died in the first film |
| Robert Pattinson | Scytale | A Tleilaxu Face Dancer who can change his appearance; a conspirator against Paul |
| Javier Bardem | Stilgar | Fremen leader |
| Josh Brolin | Gurney Halleck | Paul’s old weapons master |
| Charlotte Rampling | Reverend Mother Mohiam | Bene Gesserit leader |
| Isaach de Bankolé | Farok | A Fremen veteran |
| Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, Ida Brooke | Leto II and Ghanima | Paul and Chani’s twins |
Nakoa-Wolf Momoa is Jason Momoa’s son.
What is Dune: Part Three about? (spoiler-light)
At the end of Part Two, Paul defeats the Emperor, takes the throne, and starts a holy war in his name. Part Three picks up 17 years later. The book’s time jump is 12 years, and the film extends it.
Paul rules the universe, but the holy war has killed billions, and he has seen in his visions where it leads. The Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild and the Tleilaxu plot to bring him down, using a clone of his dead friend Duncan Idaho as their weapon. Paul’s relationship with Chani is at the center of the story.
Frank Herbert wrote Dune Messiah to show that Paul is not a hero to cheer for, so expect a darker, more personal film than the first two.
Dune movies in order
- Dune: Part One (2021)
- Dune: Part Two (2024)
- Dune: Part Three (2026)
Optional: Dune: Prophecy (HBO, 2024) is a prequel series set about 10,000 years earlier, about the founding of the Bene Gesserit. You don’t need it for Part Three. David Lynch’s Dune (1984) is a separate adaptation and does not connect to these films.
Before you go: rewatch Part Two at least. Part Three starts from its final scene.
Trailers, music and production
| Date | Release |
| Oct 20, 2026 | Hans Zimmer’s first single, “Desert Chant” |
| Oct 2026 | Final trailer |
| Aug 18, 2026 | Second IMAX 70mm ticket sale; ticketing sites crash |
| Jul 2026 | Second trailer |
| Apr 2026 | Seven minutes of footage at CinemaCon; first IMAX 70mm tickets sell out in minutes |
| Mar 2026 | Teaser trailer and nine character posters |
Behind the camera:
- Cinematography: Linus Sandgren (La La Land, No Time to Die), replacing Greig Fraser from the first two films
- Editing: Joe Walker
- Costumes: Jacqueline West
- Filming: July 8 to November 11, 2025, at Origo Film Studios in Budapest and the Liwa Oasis desert in Abu Dhabi
Villeneuve has said this will be his last Dune film.
Box office expectations
Presales are running ahead of every Dune film so far. Global Box Office reported domestic presales above $25 million about seven weeks before release, ahead of The Odyssey at the same point, and said a domestic opening of about $120 million is possible. IMAX told investors in its November 2026 earnings call that Part Three has its second-biggest IMAX presales ever, behind The Odyssey.
For comparison: Dune: Part Two opened to $82.5 million domestically in March 2024 and earned about $714 million worldwide. Dune: Part One opened to $41 million in 2021, when it was also streaming on HBO Max on release day.
Sharing opening day with Avengers: Doomsday will cut into both films’ totals. Dune has the IMAX screens and the long Christmas and New Year holiday period ahead.
FAQs
When does Dune: Part Three come out?
December 18, 2026. IMAX 70mm insider screenings start December 14.
How long is Dune: Part Three?
About 150 minutes, or 2 hours 30 minutes, which is shorter than Part Two’s 166 minutes.
Is Dune: Part Three the last Dune movie?
It is the last of Villeneuve’s trilogy, and he has said it is his last Dune film. Herbert wrote four more novels, but no further films have been announced.
What book is Dune: Part Three based on?
Dune Messiah (1969), Frank Herbert’s second Dune novel.
Is Dune: Part Three in IMAX?
Yes, and it has the IMAX screens to itself for three weeks. It plays in IMAX 70mm film at 34 theaters in the US and Canada.
Who plays the villain in Dune: Part Three?
Robert Pattinson plays Scytale, a shape-shifting Tleilaxu Face Dancer who conspires against Paul.
Is Jason Momoa back?
Yes. Duncan Idaho died in the first film, so Momoa plays Hayt, a clone of Duncan.
How much time has passed since Dune: Part Two?
17 years in the story.
Do I need to see the first two films?
Yes. Part Three continues directly from Part Two’s ending.
When will Dune: Part Three be on HBO Max?
No date is set. Based on Part Two, expect around March 2027.
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