Rebecca Ferguson in Dune 3: Messiah

News about the grand finale of the "Dune" saga: In an interview with IndieWire, Rebecca Ferguson revealed that she will return as Lady Jessica in "Dune: Part Three". This is anything but a given: in the original novel, her character hardly appears at all. There, she has returned to Caladan, the ancestral home of the Atreides. So once again, director Denis Villeneuve is clearly taking some creative liberties with the novel. In the interview, Ferguson said:

"I'm not sure I was supposed to be in it and Denis had a little idea. The script is phenomenal. It's really hard to create a film, it's such a dense book".

Lady Jessica was central to the first two "Dune" films. As a member of the mysterious Bene Gesserit sisterhood and mother of Paul Atreides, she guided her son's fate and paved the way for him to become the prophesied messiah. However, fans should not expect too much from her return in Part 3: according to Ferguson, her appearance is limited to just one or two scenes, and she only had a single day of filming. "Dune: Part Three" is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026.

An emperor on the brink: the story of Dune 3

Like its predecessors, the third film is based on the books by Frank Herbert. The story is therefore already known – even if it may of course deviate from the original in detail. In this chapter, we reveal what awaits us in the new film according to the book. So if you're not in the mood for spoilers, it's best to skip straight to the next section.

The plot of "Dune Messiah" picks up twelve years after its predecessor. The jihad is raging on countless worlds and billions have lost their lives. Paul, who is now revered as the god-like emperor of the universe, sits on the golden throne of Arrakis. Thanks to his special abilities, he can see countless possible paths into the future – but almost all of them lead to the downfall of mankind. Only the so-called "golden path" can supposedly prevent this.

At the center of the story is a plot against Paul. The powerful houses, Emperor Shaddam IV, the Guild of Navigators, the Bene Gesserit and Princess Irulan fear Paul's growing power and are making secret plans to overthrow him. Their goal: to avert the "Golden Path", which they themselves perceive as a threat to humanity and their own interests. One of the central elements of the plot is Hayt – a resurrected version of the murdered Duncan Idaho, Paul's old mentor and friend. The latter is supposed to gain the trust of the new ruler, only to destroy him.

The relationship between Paul and Chani also plays a decisive role. Chani is pregnant and Paul sees in his visions that the birth will result in twins and Chani's death. This is a crucial turning point for him, as he is torn between his love for Chani and his knowledge of the necessity of the Golden Path. Here there is already a small difference to the films of Denis Villeneuve. At the end of "Dune 2", Chani leaves Paul and returns to the desert. So it remains exciting to see how this storyline will be realized in the new film.

The climax of the plot is an assassination attempt on Paul. A nuclear weapon is detonated during a celebration, which blinds Paul. However, his visions enable him to continue to see despite his physical blindness.

Shortly afterwards, Chani gives birth to the twins: Leto II and Ghanima. But as Paul had foreseen, Chani dies in childbirth. In a moment of deepest despair, he realizes that he can no longer avoid the Golden Path. The loss of his beloved Chani and the realization that his children are the key to saving humanity drive him to make a terrible decision.

After leaving his children in the care of Princess Irulan and his sister Alia, Paul sets off alone into the desert to die according to ancient Fremen tradition. His power is to be passed on to his children.

Cast and crew

Director Denis Villeneuve is once again relying on his proven ensemble: alongside Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, Florence Pugh returns as Princess Irulan and Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho – a comeback that connoisseurs of the original book are sure to have been eagerly awaiting. We will also get to see Anya Taylor-Joy as Paul's sister Alia Atreides.

None other than Robert Pattinson is in talks for the role of the so-called face dancer Scytale. However, official confirmation is still pending. Scytale is one of Paul Atreides' main antagonists and uses deception and genetic manipulation to challenge the Empire.

Denis Villeneuve remains on board as writer and director, bringing his vision of the "Dune" saga to a conclusion. The filmmaker announced in advance that the film will be his final contribution to the series. The film will also be very different from its predecessors. Instead of epic set-pieces and bombastic action, it will be more about intrigue and philosophical themes. There is one change at the camera: Linus Sandgren is responsible this time. He has already worked on "La La Land", "James Bond: No Time to Die" and "Saltburn", for example. We are curious to see whether this change will have an impact on the look of the film series.

Then Dune 3 will be released in cinemas

The theatrical release is currently scheduled for December 19, 2026. We may be in for an epic movie duel on this day, as "Avengers: Doomsday" is also set to premiere then. Some fans are already speculating about a new crossover phenomenon, similar to what happened with "Barbie" and "Oppenheimer". However, it is also quite possible that one of the two films will be postponed again.