Gotcha. I thought you were lumping prequels into that as well.

That's my understanding as well. I would guess it would need to be a new director if they were going to finish the series. If this third one makes a fortune I can't see them not wanting to continue with the franchise, but who knows?

You would need a really talented sci fi director to pull off the final movies.

Quinn said:

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This is the final planned Dune movie, correct? Villeneuve is headed off to do Bond after this, so I would think he wouldn't have time in his schedule for a 4th.

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It will be the last *Villeneuve* Dune movie, yes (and then, yeah, he starts pre-production on Bond in January 2027, once the script is complete and Bond is officially cast, both of which will happen this year). But if Dune Three is a success, Warner Bros will no doubt continue the franchise in some form or fashion without him (or, rather, likely with him as executive producer) and without much of the current cast/characters as well, I imagine (I have no idea as to their fates after this book/movie so book readers please don't spoil them here in this thread - a book thread exists for that). This isn't a comparison in terms quality, obviously, but kind of how the Transformers movies lived on past Michael Bay/Shia LaBeouf, where Bay's tone/influence remained and he stayed on as executive producer, I imagine something like that happening here.

Perfect.

Makes sense, thanks.

And they've already done a Dune series (which I haven't watched yet) so precedent is already set to continue on.

Timothée Chalamet on the ‘DUNE: PART THREE’ trailer:

"There's a trailer coming out, that I just watched, and it's awesome." pic.twitter.com/34mbVAseDb

— timothée chalamet nation (@timotheenation) February 12, 2026

The DUNE: PART THREE trailer is rumored to be playing with IMAX screenings of PROJECT HAIL MARY, as if I couldn’t be more excited for that film. pic.twitter.com/2JYINGzkxF

— Dan Marcus (@Danimalish) March 12, 2026

Quote:

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But if Dune Three is a success, Warner Bros will no doubt continue the franchise in some form or fashion without him (or, rather, likely with him as executive producer) and without much of the current cast/characters as well

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Is WB a studio that will spin off a movie & 4 mini-series per year until they run the Duniverse into the ground?

Now that they're owned by Paramount? It's very likely...

#DunePartThree Trailer News!

It looks like the trailer is coming soon, with a 2 minute and 29 second run time! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/Hxt48eD31b

— DuneInfo (@DuneInfo) March 12, 2026

I'm obviously hyped to see the characters & costumes in the Dune: Part Three trailer, but what I'm most excited for is the architecture of Dune: Messiah. How will Villeneuve, Patrice Vermette & Linus Sandgren shape the aesthetic of Muad'dib's Empire?

What will Paul's palace - a… pic.twitter.com/1UskIECihe

— The Sietch of Sci-Fi | (@TSoS_) March 14, 2026

First look at Timothée Chalamet in "Dune: Part Three," arriving in theaters on December 18, 2026.https://t.co/49mDhEtI4J pic.twitter.com/nFXHyfDKuu

— Variety (@Variety) March 16, 2026

About to get a first look at the epic trailer for #DunePartThree on #IMAX

More to come tomorrow 👀 #Dune #DuneMovie #Dune3 pic.twitter.com/yOkeZa77VG

— Matt Neglia (@NextBestPicture) March 16, 2026

Also, Dune: Part Three title confirmed. No Messiah. Ha, I knew I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, re: the thread title.

First trailer for Dune Part 3 will release tomorrow!

— Daniel Richtman (@DanielRPK) March 16, 2026

https://t.co/ANqy4oqQpK pic.twitter.com/DCHUIZHPAa

— Hoai-Tran Bui (@htranbui) March 16, 2026

got buddy looking like zub zero the day after the oscar loss. this is how you lock in and get back in the fight. pure cinema on the way. https://t.co/yInfIcbieS

— Kyron Samuels (@kyronsamuels) March 16, 2026

TCTTS said:

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Also, Dune: Part Three title confirmed. No Messiah. Ha, I knew I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions, re: the thread title.

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E-mail staff and they will change it for you.

Are you ready? #DuneMovie

Be the first to see the teaser, live on TikTok. Tomorrow at 9:00am PT / 12:00pm ET pic.twitter.com/wCSTjceX4s

— DUNE (@dunemovie) March 16, 2026

pic.twitter.com/miM0yNZwOC

— DUNE (@dunemovie) March 16, 2026

All character posters for ‘DUNE: PART 3’.

Trailer releases tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/O6lxtZGHt1

— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) March 16, 2026

Our first look at a number of new characters.

This looks dark as hell, btw.

What's crazy to me is that Warner Bros is doubling down on the December 18, 2026 release date... which is still the same day Avengers: Doomsday is scheduled to release. I thought for sure Dune: Part Three would be the one to move, but the opposite happened - they actually beat Avengers: Doomsday to the punch and exclusively secured IMAX theaters for not just that weekend, but the next three weeks, which is insane. Without IMAX theaters, I just don't see how Avengers: Doomsday isn't the one to move now.

Quote:

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After watching the Dune Part 3 trailer, I now understand why Warner didn't move the release date. Marvel should rethink this competition and delay Doomsday… I think they haven't grasped the caliber this movie can reach, and the world will find out tomorrow.

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Después de ver el tráiler de Dune Parte 3 ya entiendo por qué Warner no movió el estreno. Marvel debería replantearse esta competencia y retrasar Doomsday… creo que no han dimensionado el calibre que puede alcanzar esta película y el mundo lo sabrá mañana. pic.twitter.com/ZAEYpRM1vc

— Carlos Camacho | CHICO DUNE 🌓 (@AyCarlosCamacho) March 17, 2026

Any chance Doomsday just goes to the usual May spot? 2027 this time?

Quote:

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So just talked to a dear friend here who saw the trailer, although I refused any spoilers (I wanna experience it first hand tmr), I did asked what they thought about it and they start with "I used to disagree with you everytime you said #DunePartThree shouldn't move out of December. Not anymore" and they proceeded saying so many wonderful things about their impressions regarding the trailer that now I can't wait to see this trailer myself! I should be sleeping by now, barely slept the previous night due to the #Oscars, but guess what? We talked for over an hour and I'm so hyped up I can't sleep

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So just talked to a dear friend here who saw the trailer, although I refused any spoilers (I wanna experience it first hand tmr), I did asked what they thought about it and they start with “I used to disagree with you everytime you said #DunePartThree shouldn’t move out of DEC.… pic.twitter.com/DdyaAEytnP

— Luiz Fernando (@Luiz_Fernando_J) March 17, 2026

Quote:

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Villeneuve is releasing Dune 3 on the exact same day as Avengers: Doomsday. And he locked up IMAX exclusivity for opening weekend.

Run the format math. Dune 3 is shot entirely on 65mm film stock, 15-perf IMAX for the big sequences, 5-perf 65mm for the rest. Villeneuve hired Linus Sandgren, the La La Land DP who won't touch a digital camera, and went native film from day one. The IMAX prints originate on the negative. 18K equivalent resolution. No upscaling, no digital intermediary.

Avengers: Doomsday is shot digitally. Standard practice for Marvel. Which means on December 18, Dune owns every IMAX screen in the US and Marvel can't buy a single one on opening night.

Disney spent somewhere between $500 and $600 million producing Doomsday. They need $1 billion just to break even. And they don't have IMAX.

Dune: Part Two cost roughly $190 million and grossed $715 million worldwide, with $145 million from IMAX alone. That's 20% of total gross coming from a format Marvel can't access on the biggest revenue weekend of the release.

Warner Bros. claimed December 18 first. Disney moved Doomsday there from May 2026 after already pushing it from May 2025. Three release dates in two years. Villeneuve wrapped filming in November 2025 and hasn't moved once.

A $190 million film just bodied a $600 million film out of every premium screen in America before a single trailer dropped. The MCU is getting mogged by a guy in a stillsuit.

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Villeneuve is releasing Dune 3 on the exact same day as Avengers: Doomsday. And he locked up IMAX exclusivity for opening weekend.

Run the format math. Dune 3 is shot entirely on 65mm film stock, 15-perf IMAX for the big sequences, 5-perf 65mm for the rest. Villeneuve hired… https://t.co/5sdFBqLRrS

— Aakash Gupta (@aakashgupta) March 17, 2026

rhutton125 said:

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Any chance Doomsday just goes to the usual May spot? 2027 this time?

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That would be my guess. Though, it would be the biggest tuck-and-run ever, especially after releasing FOUR teasers all touting "December 2026."

Or... move it up to the first full weekend in November, which is a weekend when Marvel used to release certain titles. Granted, that would only leave two weekends before the new Hunger Games and Narnia movies release in IMAX over Thanksgiving, but that's still better than the no IMAX screens Marvel has now.

Either way, what a fumble.

I imagine it's due to more intense CGI needs, but I'm struck that Doomsday apparently costs triple what Dune Part 3 does, but that I haven't seen a Marvel movie yet that looks as good as either of the Dune flicks.

The numbers in that tweet are Dune 2 numbers. Have we seen how much Dune 3 is going to cost? I'm assuming it's gotta be a good chunk more than the last two movies but maybe not. Maybe in the $250-350m range?