Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to return to Arakkis! Denis Villeneuve is back, and bringing us the epic conclusion to his incredible Dunetrilogy: Dune: Part Three! And we were right there with him for the debut of the new trailer for the highly anticipated December release. However, we weren’t the only ones.
Before we get into the details of the event itself, we must first dive into the trailer itself! Based on Dune: Messiah, Dune: Part Three will bring back Paul (Timothée Chalamet), Chani (Zendaya), Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), Stilgar (Javier Bardem), and…Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa)? That is not a typo! We are getting the terrific cast and characters we love back for this epic conclusion, plus a few new, incredible faces joining the cast. That said, enough talk!
Check out the teaser trailer right here:
Geeks of Color was incredibly happy to be present for the debut of that spectacular trailer. And what’s more, Villeneuve stopped by for a rousing Q&A to give us a bit more information about what he has planned for the next chapter. However, he wasn’t alone. As a special surprise for the event, Villeneuve brought some friends: new cast members Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy (who merely had a cameo previously in Dune: Part Two), as well as veterans Bardem and Zendaya.
Here’s what we found out about the new film:
– Villeneuve stated that there will be a significant jump in the timeline. Much like it does in Messiah, Dune: Part Three will take place 17 years after the events of Dune: Part Two. That means he had to age up the cast with practical makeup, making the characters look subtly older than they are today.
“It’s a very different movie. I said to myself it’s a good idea to go come back to this world. Not by nostalgia, but by urgency. And to go there with a critical eye and the idea to not be self-indulgent. And I said to my team that it will be a very different Dune movie with a different tone, with a different rhythm, with a different pace. And if the first movie was about contemplation- a boy exploring a new world- and the second being a war movie, this one is a thriller. It’s a more action packed film, more tense, more muscular than the other two I would say…So there’s a time gap of 17 years, where we see Paul dealing with the consequences of having too much power. And him trying to figure out how to get out of this cycle of violence…he’s an emperor who can see the future so he’s kind of intensive. Who will follow him, and who will follow the people trying to overthrow him? It’s quite an intense story, but at the heart of the film, it’s still a love story,” Villeneuve stated.
– Villeneuve discussed that there will be new sets, new planets, and a new cinematographer in the film, Linus Sandgren. The movie was shot in 70mm, 65mm, and IMAX (on film). However, the desert scenes were still shot digitally.
“You are visiting a new planet. And I wanted to approach this with a new pair of eyes. So I approached my dear friend, Sandgren, and we decided to shoot most of the movie on film…But I kept the desert in digital because I like the brutality of digital IMAX. The movie is really meant to be an IMAX experience to be seen on the biggest screen possible,” stated Villeneuve.
– Composer Hans Zimmer is back and already working on the film. “Yes. But it’s going to be different. The score would be different, and it’s something that Hans is very excited about, and approaching it with the same spirit as the first two films,” Villeneuve added.
– Part Three is intended to be a personal film for Villeneuve, because it’s about Paul and Chani having to deal with the pressure the world is putting on them.
“It tells the story of Paul and Chani. They’re struggling with their relationship. Having the burden and incredible pressure from the world around them. And Paul has to find a way out of this cycle of violence. There’s something about the way their love, time, the way they are, the way their relationship evolved. That study on the relationship of both characters is very personal,” Villeneuve stated.
The acclaimed director then brought out members of the cast to discuss what they could about the upcoming film.
Questions came in from cast members Florence Pugh and Jason Momoa via video recordings. Pugh cheekily asked Zendaya about what she likes about her character. “Well,” the Euphoria star started, “I want to start by saying I love Florence Pugh. She’s so talented, and so wonderful. The last time we were on the press tour we only got like one scene together and we were far away. So I was like, ‘I hope we get more.’ I don’t want to tease anything but she’s absolutely phenomenal.”
Bardem was asked whether Stilgar’s loyalty had evolved 17 years after the events of the second film. “I think it takes him to a place where he sees different realities of what being in power means after so long,” Bardem began. “And he’s in this contradiction between loyalty to the idea that he strongly fought for and believed in back in the day, and also the result of the idea becoming something that he thinks or feels may not be what he…dreamed about. Sounds complicated, but so is the complicated book. It’s a great analogy about the idea of power and having the power.”
Taylor-Joy was asked about what drives her character, Alia Atreides, sister of Paul (who made a quick cameo in Dune: Part Two). Taylor Joy said, “Alia has a very intense ‘blessing/curse’ situation. She carries the weight and the wisdom of generations and generations in her head. She’s never in a singular conversation. It’s kind of ‘everything everywhere all at once.’ The one thing that she really feels most strongly about is her love and devotion to her brother, because that is the only person who has ever made her feel like she makes sense. He’s understood her from before she was even born. And she will do anything for him to various degrees of insanity.”
Pattinson, similarly was asked about what audiences could expect from his character, Scytale. Pattinson shared, “He’s an unusual character in the book. I mean you can’t really tell whose side he’s on. It’s kind of what makes him quite interesting. I wouldn’t say he was a conventional bad guy as such. I don’t think he is. He might even be a good guy. Who knows?”
The final question came from a video message from Momoa. “My question to [Denis] is why did you kill me off in the first one? And why am I back now?”
“Yes, good question,” started Villeneuve. “Duncan Idaho was killed in the first one and suddenly it seems that he comes back in the third. Frank Herbert is a genius. The idea is that he created this kind of charismatic tremendous character. And our heart was broken seeing him fall in the first one. Then we had the desire to see him back. And he comes back to us just at the right moment in the story. It’s a very important comeback. Paul is struggling with his identity. And that strong figure coming back from the past will have a tremendous impact.”
It was a tease and a teaser that left all of us in the audience thirsting for more! And we simply can’t wait to see how everything plays out.