Dune: Part Three will officially switch genres when it debuts in cinemas later in 2026. The third installment of the sci-fi film franchise based on Frank Herbert's popular novel is once again directed by Denis Villeneuve. It will feature the return of familiar characters from Dune: Part One and Part Two, but it is set several years later, and much has changed in that time.
During the Dune: Part Three trailer event on July 8, Denis Villeneuve revealed new details about the threequel, including that it will switch genres. Villeneuve told audiences (as shared by Dexerto) that Dune 3 is "more of a thriller," and is a "more intense story." The director added that "it's definitely more emotional" and has a "very different rhythm:"
“It’s more of a thriller. It’s a more intense story, and it’s definitely more emotional as well. It will be the third and last Dune movie. It’s a Dune movie, but it is a very different rhythm.”
Both Dune: Part One and Dune: Part Two were sci-fi epics, with dashes of action, politics, and adventure, following Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) on his journey across the desert planet Arrakis as he grapples with his destiny and seeks to ensure the survival of his noble house. The films were based on Herbert's original novel Dune, which was split across both films; meanwhile, Dune: Part Three will draw from a different Herbert novel: Dune: Messiah.
Chalamet joined Villeneuve at the event and concurred with the director's sentiment, sharing that the first two Dune films were "sort of siblings," and this third film has "its own energy," and "a new tone:"
"I think the first two were sort of siblings, and then this one is really its own energy, and I love that approach. I thought, wow, it’s familiar – this crew, this family – but there’s a new tone to this."
Villeneuve added he didn't want to repeat the past with Dune: Part Three and wanted to bring audiences "to new parts of Arrakis," with something "fresh and new." He said that those who know Dune: Messiah understand how this third story is "a very different beast:"
“The thing I said to my crew is I don’t want us to walk into our own footsteps. I want us to bring the audience to new parts of Arrakis, something that will be fresh and new, and also for people who know the book, it’s a very different beast."
Dune: Part Three will be released opposite Avengers: Doomsday on December 18, 2026. The film features returning stars Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson, and Florence Pugh, as well as new additions Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy.
Dune Part 3's New Genre is Fitting For Dune: Messiah
As previewed in the new trailer for Dune: Part 3, the shift to a thriller genre is fitting for the story it tells.
Where Dune Parts One and Two were about Paul Atreides on his path to becoming the Messiah to the Fremen and the Emperor of the galaxy, Dune: Part Three picks up many years into Paul's reign. A lot has changed as a result of his decision at the end of Dune: Part Two, which saw Paul challenge for the throne and marry Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) to secure his position. This jeopardized his relationship with his Fremen lover, Chani (Zendaya), and it appears things haven't gotten better between them in the years since.
Dune: Part Three's trailer also previews how Paul's power has made him many new enemies, inciting a political thriller plot in which rival nobles plot his downfall, sending insurgents like Jason Momoa's Duncan Idaho to destabilize him.
Where the first two Dune movies were a more traditional hero's journey, following Paul on a path to accept his destiny, Dune: Messiah does the opposite, tracking the protagonist's downfall after he's corrupted by power. It's clear that Villeneuve intends to imbue the book's tone and genre into his already established sci-fi world with this next installment, which should keep the Dune franchise feeling fresh.
