LAS VEGAS — Warner Bros. and Legendary unveiled a seven-minute opening scene from Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three at CinemaCon in Las Vegas on Tuesday, previewing the third installment of the science-fiction series ahead of its December 18, 2026 theatrical release. Villeneuve appeared onstage alongside stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Jason Momoa to introduce the footage.

Warner Bros. brought dozens of performers costumed as Fremen onto the stage, some suspended from the ceiling on wires. The film picks up 17 years after the events of the prior installment.

In the clip shown to exhibitors, Momoa's character tells Paul Atreides that he has conquered the galaxy, destroyed thousands of worlds, and is beyond redemption. Chalamet said Paul Atreides has become his worst vision. Momoa returns as a ghola, while Robert Pattinson joins the cast as the villain Scytale. Anya Taylor-Joy takes on a substantially larger role than in the previous films. Rebecca Ferguson, Charlotte Rampling, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem also reprise their roles.

Villeneuve described the first Dune film as meditative and contemplative and the second as a war movie, characterizing the third as a thriller that is more action-packed, faster paced, and more emotional. He said the film would bring Paul's arc to a satisfying conclusion without necessarily a happy ending.

"I didn't want to walk in my own footsteps. I wanted to do something new," Villeneuve said.

Reflecting on the end of production, the director spoke about the cast's long tenure on the trilogy. "It was quite emotional for me to bring them back one last time in front of the camera and say farewell to Paul and Chani in the desert. We became like a small family. This was 10 years of our life," he said.

Chalamet said working with Villeneuve is the biggest honor of his career. The actor also said Paul Atreides has become his worst vision over the course of the trilogy.