By George & Josh Bate
Across 10 locations spread around the globe, Warner Bros. Pictures and Legendary Entertainment hosted Global IMAX Fan Events to preview one of 2026’s most anticipated movies – Dune: Part Three.
Denis Villeneuve’s epic conclusion to the sci-fi trilogy based on Frank Herbert’s beloved novels arrives in theaters this December, but those fortunate enough to attend one of the Global IMAX Fan Events got the opportunity to watch the brand new trailer about an hour before hit social media, hear Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet thoughtfully answer questions, and experience the first 10 minutes of the movie in glorious IMAX.
Dune: Part Three adapts Frank Herbert’s 1969 sci-fi novel Dune Messiah. Years after assuming control of Arrakis at the end of Dune: Part Two, Paul Atreides has abandoned much of his values and transformed into a ruthless Emperor who was plummeted the galaxy into a bloodthirsty holy war. Paul’s actions as Emperor lead a number of key figures in the galaxy to launch attempts to usurp him, including a clever piece of deception to reintroduce a resurrected Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) into Paul’s life.
Keep reading for a full breakdown of the Dune: Part Three Global IMAX Fan Event, including the new trailer, Villeneuve and Chalamet’s comments, a detailed description of the first 10 minutes of the movie, and our overall impressions of the event.
“Forgive me for all I’ve done”
The Global IMAX Fan Event began with a presentation of the brand new trailer for Dune: Part Three. Check out the trailer below.
The new trailer is stunning to say the least, and teases that audiences are in store for a much darker take on Paul Atreidies when Dune: Part Three comes to theaters this winter.
Sporting a bald head and menacing demeanor, Paul Atreidies is a far cry from the youthful, inspiring figure from Parts One and Two.
The trailer features the best looks yet at characters played by Robert Pattinson, Florence Pugh, and Anya Taylor-Joy. Pattinson plays Scytale, a Tleilaxu Face Dancer who engineers a devious plot to kill Paul. Pugh, meanwhile, plays Paul’s wife Irulan, reprising her role from the previous film. Taylor-Joy has a far more expanded role in Part Three after her brief cameo in Part Two introduced the world to Alia Atreidies, Paul’s sister.
The trailer also prominently features Jason Momoa, who now plays a new character Hayt. After Duncan Idaho’s death in Part One, one would think that Momoa’s time in the Dune universe had come to an end, but Atreidies’ opposers had other players. Hayt is a ghola created in the image of Duncan Idaho to infilitrate Paul’s inner circle and destabilize his rule.
Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet Preview A More Thrilling, Experimental, and Epic Dune
Brittany Broski moderated a Q&A with Denis Villeneuve and Timothée Chalamet in which two of the architects of the Dune trilogy answered questions from fans around the world. “It’s quite moving to see everyone here,” Villeneuve remarked as he walked on stage.
Denis Villeneuve revealed that his initial plan was to wait several years before making a follow-up to Dune: Part Two and pivot to working on another project. However, during the second film’s press tour, he realized he “felt an appetite for Part Three.” He explained that he “kept waking up in the night” with visions of what the next chapter could be, and those ideas “kept getting stronger and stronger.”
Villeneuve also reflected on why returning to Arrakis felt necessary, saying, “It would be better to go back to Arrakis, not by nostalgia, but by necessity.” Rather than revisiting the franchise after a long gap and relying on audience nostalgia, he decided the story deserved to be told now. In doing so, the story would land with audiences based on its merits alone, rather than nostalgia.
The director also emphasized that he wanted the third installment to forge its own identity instead of repeating what came before. “I said to my crew, ‘I don’t want us to walk into our own footsteps,’” he said. “I want to bring the audience into new parts of Arrakis… It’s more of a thriller. It’s more of an intense story. And it’s definitely more emotional.”
Chalamet later elaborated on this point, “This is a different movie. The first two are sort of siblings. This one [has] sort of its own energy…. There’s a new tone.”
Dune: Part Three will Both Honor and Diverge From Dune Messiah
Chalamet, meanwhile, was welcomed to the stage with attendees serenading him with the iconic, guttural Dune chant. “That’s gonna follow me for the rest of my life,” Chalamet joked.
Chalamet paid plenty of compliments to his director throughout the Q&A, comparing his work on the trilogy to Peter Jackson’s work on The Lord of the Rings and praising him for his “mastery to weave in stories that weren’t as much in the book.”
Fans of Frank Herbert’s original novels will be interested to hear that “Denis takes the most creative liberity [of any of the books],” according to Chalamet. This is already hinted at in the trailers by a number of visuals, including Florence Pugh’s white makeup appearance that does not resemble how her character is portrayed in Dune Messiah.
Chalamet repeatedly referenced Herbert’s source material during the Q&A, demonstrating both a clear reverence for and intimiate understanding of his books.
Anya Taylor-Joy is Terrifying, Breathtaking, Remarkable, and Special in Dune: Part Three
Although Dune: Part Three reunites much of the star-studded cast from the previous films, it also introduces several important new additions. Among them is Anya Taylor-Joy, who takes on the role of Paul Atreides’ younger sister, Alia. While Taylor-Joy briefly appeared in Dune: Part Two in a cameo, the upcoming film gives her character a much more prominent role.
When asked about collaborating with new cast members, Timothée Chalamet singled out Taylor-Joy as one of the film’s standout performers. “Anya is something special in this movie,” Chalamet said. “It was breathtaking. She was unbelievable in this movie. That is not media hyperbole. She is actually terrifying.”
Chalamet’s comments suggest that Taylor-Joy has succeeded in capturing the nuances of a character both blessed and burdened by inherited memories and extraordinary awareness.
The Psychedelic Unit
When asked by a fan how he applied his history with Montreal to Dune: Part Three, Villeneuve offered a surprising reveal to the audience about the film’s ‘Psychedelic Unit.’
“I was raised watching experimental movies from [the National Film Board of Canada,” Villeneuve explained. “I wanted to bring that experimental filming to Dune: Part Three. To do so, I created a special small unit… the unit was called ‘The Psychedelic Unit.’
Villeneuve elaborated on what the responsibilites of ‘The Psychedelic Unit’ were. “Their task was to bring some crazy images you’ll see to the movie later.”
One of these images appears in the trailer above in the form of several shots that use specialized portable camcorders from the early 2000s, as opposed to the behemoth IMAX cameras. It’s certainly unusual to see such cameras applied to capture a fantastical science fiction story set hundreds of years in the future.
The End of an Era
In reflecting on how he feels now that Dune: Part Three has wrapped production, Chalamet was candid about the emotional aftermath of this chapter of his life coming to an end.
“I was nostaglic in the moment,” Chalamet reflected. “Even though I was 29 when I started this, I felt like I was losing a part of me by getting through it.”
Later in the Q&A, in response to a question about the emotional challenges of playing Paul in this final chapter, Chalamet said, “There was finality to it…. It felt melancholic to move on from this incredible family and incredible crew.”
One of Chalamet’s last remarks at the event was a poignant answer to a question about what advice he would give to himself on the first day of filming the first Dune. “I’d tell myself to savor every moment,” he said.
Dune: Part Three First 10 Minutes Blows the Roof Off
The first 10 minutes (or so) of Dune: Part Three were presented to attendees at the Global IMAX Fan Event. This is the same footage that was presented in Las Vegas in April at CinemaCon 2026, although this is the first time that the footage has been presented in IMAX to the public.
Continue reading for a detailed description of the footage….
The movie begins with a thumping sound that accompanies the Warner Bros.’ logo and the opening credits. We are then plummeted into space as ships that look like black rectangles descend through a thunder storm and toward a planet. A lightning storm rages on that strikes a number of the ships down.
Inside the ships are numerous soldiers, including Javier Bardem’s Stilgar and Isaach de Bankolé’s Farok. Stilgar appears committed to the mission, although his facial expressions suggest a man that may harbor some regret over his dedication to Paul Atreides.
The soldiers discuss a “miracle” that water falls from the sky, hopefully prophesying their victory in the forthcoming battle. They begin to chant the war cry that can be heard from the first publicly released trailer.
The remaining ships then land on a gray, rainy planet. As the ramps open, the soldiers are surprised and delighted to see water descend from the sky above. Led by Stilgar, various units of soldiers proceed forward across a barren field before they suddenly halt. Stilgar immediately tells everyone to get down, after which a booming weapon starts shooting at them. Some of the soldiers are destroyed immediately, others are launched in the air. The weapon is massive and loud in a way that shakes your ribcage.
The soldiers desperately seek cover as Stilgar manages to get his hands on a massive weapon to fight back against the enemy’s. He says that they will need to shoot three blasts at the enemy’s weapon in order to disable its shield. Stilgar proceeds to do this, only to see his blasts bounce off the shield and back toward his team. Farok is injured, one soldier deserts his comrades, and the scene comes to an end soon after.
Overall Impressions
Dune: Part Three was already one of our most anticipated movies of 2026 (we named the footage from CinemaCon as the best footage we saw out of the four day event, which spanned over 120 movies). But the Global IMAX Fan Event elevated our anticipation to new, unexpected heights.
Villeneuve and Chalamet demonstrate such a care for and understanding of the material heading into an adaptation of an undeniably challenging novel. Their passon and love for the world of Dune was palpable, while their comments about how different the new film will be and how it will play more like a thriller left us chomping at the bit to see the new movie.
Chalamet compared the Dune trilogy to The Lord of the Rings trilogy, both at CinemaCon and at the Global IMAX Fan Event. Based on everything we’ve seen so far, Dune: Part Three may indeed wrap up a trilogy that matches the quality of Peter Jackson’s fantasy epic.
Thanks to Allied Global Marketing, Warner Bros. Pictures, and Legendary Entertainment for hosting and organizing such an unforgettable event!