Perhaps, the most loved franchise in recent times has been ruling the theatres for three years now. One of the greatest reasons? The Director. No hard-to-guess question, it’s Denis Villeneuve. With The Odyssey releasing in theatres soon, let’s see what counter-magic Villeneuve put into the Dune 3 trailer.
The trailer first debuted at a global IMAX fan event on July 8, simulcast live across LA, Chicago, Dallas, Toronto, Montreal, London, Berlin, Mexico City, and Abu Dhabi. Chill out, even I saw it on YouTube two hours later, that too alone, in bed, procrastinating.
In another aura plus moment, this footage will also play ahead of IMAX 70mm screenings of The Odyssey later this month. Immediately after the trailer launch, Chalamet and Villeneuve did a live Q&A. This also marks the first time the franchise has used a global simultaneous premiere event instead of just dropping a trailer online.
The Line That’s Going Viral
Initially, I was going for “Paul’s Own Best Friend Wants Him Dead” as headline but soon, thankfully I realised declaring Paul to be “beyond redemption” deserves the spotlight. And that’s not the case with just me, but also every fan on social media, being a part of the buzz.
Duncan Idaho’s clone, Hayt (Jason Momoa), tells Paul directly: “I think you’re way beyond redemption.” He follows it by pointing out Paul has “conquered the galaxy” and “destroyed thousands of worlds.” This circles back to the “chosen one” arc audiences thought they were rooting for in Parts One and Two.
Chani’s Betrayal Storyline
This is not a good look for my close friend Paul Atreides. Chani (Zendaya) confronts Paul for breaking his promise never to “take power in [his] name” a line pulled almost directly from Part Two’s ending. Paul is now married to Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) purely for political leverage, while Chani is referred to in materials as his former lover/concubine, not his wife.
This continues Part Two’s controversial ending, where Chani rode off into the desert alone after Paul accepted the throne. Some fans expect her arc to be about reclaiming the agency he took from her. I like how the consistency across different parts is being maintained, then again, I wouldn’t expect anything less from Villeneuve.
The Conspiracy Forming Against Him
Considering, all the red-flag activities Paul is getting himself into, this is inevitable. Irulan and Scytale (Robert Pattinson) are shown plotting what’s described as a “regime change”, which Irulan bluntly translates on-screen as killing Paul.
Villeneuve has confirmed the plot centers on three factions: the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the Tleilaxu; all maneuvering to seize control of spice production away from Paul. Now, the threat is internal, in contrast to the external antagonist plots of the first two films.
New/Returning Faces Confirmed
Something I’m quite curious to know myself, let’s unveil it together. First off, Jason Momoa’s new role fully revealed: he plays Hayt, a cloned version of his Part One/Two character Duncan Idaho, engineered by the Tleilaxu specifically to psychologically destabilize Paul.
Book referred: Anya Taylor-Joy’s Alia Atreides (Paul’s sister) is shown covered in blood, screaming and hinting at a dark turn for her character consistent with her book arc. A brief glimpse of Paul and Chani’s twin children appears, confirming another major book plot point is making it to screen.
I swear I’ve never seen/read the name Paul so much except the time when I was stalking The Vampire Diaries’ cast. Moving on.
The Box Office Showdown to Watch
Circling back to real life, the movie won’t just be the epicentre for all of Paul’s problems in the third part, but also brings with it, a box office shutdown. Releasing on December 18, 2026, the film is going head-to-head against Avengers: Doomsday the same season. So, it’s medieval fantasy vs. high-tech warfare, interesting to see how that pans out.
For Streaming: It’s expected to hit HBO Max in early 2027, following the release pattern of the first two films.
A fun fact to add to your expectations: The previous two films earned 15 combined Oscar nominations and 8 wins; this time, Chalamet could be in line for his third consecutive Best Actor nomination, and I’m rooting for him.
Till now, you must have reckoned that the movie will make Paul Atreides undergo a major character arc, challenging him with everyone wanting him dead. However, I wouldn’t be a true girl’s girl if I didn’t support her, so you know where my loyalty lies.
I encourage you to keep the fan theories coming so that I can be distracted from the long wait of seeing Zendaya in theatres a second time this year.
