The first seven minutes of Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune: Part Three were screened during Warner Bros.’ presentation of upcoming releases at the theater industry expo on April 14, 2025.
The brutal opening sequence shows Paul Atreides’ army, led by Stilgar, landing on a rain-soaked planet and facing fierce resistance. Villeneuve called the final installment of the trilogy “more intense and definitely more emotional” than the first two films.
Here’s the description of the Dune: Part Three opening sequence (contains spoilers):
An alarm sounds inside a spaceship as it releases a series of smaller dropships onto a stormy planet. One of the ships is struck by lightning and goes down.
The dropships are carrying Fremen warriors loyal to Emperor Paul “Muad’Dib” Atreides. The Fremen begin reciting the war chant sung by Paul in the trailer.
Stilgar (Javier Bardem) moves among the warriors, encouraging them before the battle. The Fremen appear to be armed with lasguns.
As the ship opens, the Fremen remark that water is falling from the sky — rain. Stilgar leads them off the ship while several Fremen carry a rectangular device.
Stilgar tells the Fremen to wait before suddenly ordering them to get down. An intense barrage of red laser fire follows, killing several Fremen and setting them ablaze. The scale of the action is unlike anything seen in Dune or Dune: Part Two.
Something massive then bursts through the ground, evoking the imagery of a sandworm emerging from the desert. The towering structure is mounted with laser turrets, matching the overhead laser fire shown in the trailer.
The giant structure is hit by an explosive shield-piercer, but it remains standing. Stilgar fires three more shots, only for them to be reflected back.
One soldier makes a run for something in the distance but is struck down by more laser fire. The footage ends with the structure advancing while Stilgar and his Fremen warriors remain pinned down.
New footage then plays as Paul and Hayt (the revived Duncan Idaho) speak over the scenes. Paul asks Hayt what he knows about him, and Hayt replies that Paul is “beyond redemption” after killing so many.
More scenes flash by, including Chani seeing ominous Tarot cards and Princess Irulan covered in mud, as shown in her character poster. Chani bitterly asks Paul how it feels to be human despite all his power.
“The Atreides family. That’s where you come from,” Paul says. “I need Duncan Idaho.”
The footage ends with Paul repeatedly shouting “Remember!” as a sandworm erupts from the ground.
Directed by Villeneuve and written by Villeneuve and Brian K. Vaughan, Dune: Part Three is based on the novel Dune Messiah by Frank Herbert and delivers the epic conclusion to Villeneuve’s trilogy.
Here’s the cast details for Dune: Part Three:
- Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck
- Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho
- Javier Bardem as Stilgar
- Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides
- Robert Pattinson as Scytale
- Isaach de Bankolé as Farok
- Nakoa-Wolf Momoa as Leto II Atreides
- Ida Brooke as Ghanima Atreides
Dune: Part Three is set to hit theaters in the United States on December 18, 2026, by Warner Bros. Pictures.
