Robert Pattinson to Play Scytale, the Shape-Shifting Villain in Dune: Messiah

The role that Robert Pattinson will play in Denis Villeneuve‘s Dune: Messiah has been confirmed.

Pattinson will portray the villain Scytale, a shape-shifting Face Dancer who leads a conspiracy against Emperor Paul Atreides.

Villeneuve returns to direct and co-write the sequel with Frank Herbert and Jon Spaihts. Villeneuve will either adapt select pages from Children of Dune or reshape the trilogy’s story to focus on the rise of Leto II and Ghanima.

Filming begins in July 2025 and is expected to run through the end of the year. According to Nexus Point, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke have been cast as the Atreides twins, Leto II and Ghanima, in Dune: Messiah. The twins are the children of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and Chani (Zendaya).

Leto II and Ghanima were first introduced at the very end of Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah — as newborns. (Spoilers ahead!) Their birth resulted in the death of Chani — an event foretold through Paul’s prescience. The twins return in the next installment, Children of Dune, as 9-year-olds, where they attempt to overthrow their corrupted aunt Alia and the Corrino uprising. Leto II is ultimately crowned emperor and reappears thousands of years later in God Emperor of Dune — fully transformed into a sandworm–human hybrid.

IMDb has updated the synopsis for Dune: Messiah: “It follows Muad’dib, heir to unimaginable power, as he brings to fruition the ancient scheme to create a superbeing ruler among men—not in the heavens.”

During the premiere of Joseph Kosinski’s F1, Hans Zimmer was asked by Variety about the writing status of Dune: Messiah.

Zimmer said, “I just spoke to Denis. We’ve got something — we are on our way, let me put it this way… you know. But there’s a lot of desert still in front of us.”

Dune: Messiah – Cast:

• Timothée Chalamet – Paul Atreides
• Zendaya – Chani
• Florence Pugh – Princess Irulan
• Robert Pattinson – Scytale
• Jason Momoa – Duncan Idaho
• Ida Brooke – Ghanima
• Nakoa-Wolf Momoa – Leto II

Pattinson will film Dune: Messiah and The Batman – Part II back-to-back.

Dune: Messiah is currently scheduled for release on December 16, 2026.