Denis Villeneuve wrapped his Arrakis trilogy the same way he began it seven years ago: in the Liwa Desert, roughly three hours outside Abu Dhabi, where towering dunes have doubled as Frank Herbert’s fictional planet across all three “Dune” films. The Abu Dhabi Film Commission released new behind-the-scenes photos this week showing Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya back on that sand, timed to the debut of the first full trailer for “Dune: Part Three,” which hits theaters December 18.
More than 600 UAE-based workers contributed to the 31-day shoot, according to the film commission, including 206 local crew members and a dozen stunt performers. The production drew on Abu Dhabi’s cashback rebate program, which can return up to 50 percent of qualified below-the-line spending, and marks the third consecutive “Dune” installment to lean on the emirate’s incentives and landscape. Sameer Al Jaberi, who heads the film commission, called the shoot a “pivotal moment” for the region’s production industry, while Legendary Entertainment executive Herb Gains said returning to Liwa was “never in doubt,” citing both the scenery and the local support crews.
The finale picks up Paul Atreides’ story 17 years after “Part Two,” drawing from Herbert’s novel “Dune Messiah” to examine the costs of the empire Paul built. Villeneuve has described the shift in tone bluntly: where the first film played as contemplative scene-setting and the second as a war picture, the third leans into action and tension, propelled by Paul’s growing doubts about the violence carried out in his name. “Forgive me for all I’ve done,” Chalamet’s character says near the end of the new trailer.
Chalamet unveiled the footage alongside Villeneuve at a global IMAX event in Los Angeles, simulcast to fan screenings in Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Montreal, London, Berlin, Mexico City and Abu Dhabi. He credited the director’s speed in bringing the trilogy’s close chapter to screen so soon after “Part Two,” rather than taking a lengthy break as originally planned. Villeneuve has said he found himself compelled to keep going, calling “Dune Messiah” one of his favorite books in the series and the resulting film his most personal yet.
The returning cast includes Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Charlotte Rampling and Anya Taylor-Joy, alongside newcomers Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke. Robert Pattinson also joins the ensemble. Villeneuve, who wrote the screenplay with Brian K. Vaughan, has said he pushed his crew to avoid repeating earlier visual choices, aiming instead to show audiences unfamiliar corners of Arrakis as the saga closes.
