The cast of Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune 3” is warning audiences early that the upcoming film will feature major “departures” from Frank Herbert’s literary franchise. The movie is set to draw heavily from Herbert’s 1969 sequel novel, “Dune Messiah.”
Zendaya told The New York Times that while "there’s a lot in this film that is very true to the source material, and there are departures." Franchise newcomer Robert Pattinson, who makes his debut as Scytale, told the same outlet, “You got to be kind of crazy if you’re going to be picking fault with this one [over the changes to the books].”
Pattinson described the script as "really cool, but it was quite complicated." He noted that while he initially had certain expectations, the film "reads as much more of a grand political, moral fable, and the movie is so much more emotional." He specifically highlighted that "a lot of it is about parenting" and called the experience "moving."
When asked about his satisfaction with Villeneuve’s conclusion to the trilogy, Timothée Chalamet said, “Absolutely. It didn’t feel like the bar dropped at all, Denis just changed the location of the bar. This movie is its own thing.”
Florence Pugh, who returns as Irulan, credited the franchise with bringing “back moviegoing” following the pandemic and various Hollywood strikes. She told The Times, “What an event the second one was. It was just so lovely to be a part of something that we know is our generational kind of ‘Star Wars.’”
The franchise has seen significant commercial success. The first “Dune” movie opened simultaneously in theaters and on HBO Max in 2021, grossing $410 million worldwide. The 2024 sequel received an exclusive theatrical release and earned $714 million.
Zendaya expressed that the opportunity to contribute to the moviegoing experience is important because it is "so much a part of my life, my childhood, so many people’s lives — it’s the reason we do it."
“Dune 3” is scheduled to open in theaters on Dec. 18 from Warner Bros and Legendary. Its opening weekend alongside “Avengers: Doomsday” is widely expected to be the highest-grossing single weekend in box office history.
