The Daily Express is currently reporting live from CinemaCon in Las Vegas, where Warner Bros gave its upcoming film slate presentation on Tuesday evening.
It was an impressive roster which included special on-stage appearances from huge stars like Tom Cruise, Nicole Kidman and Sandra Bullock, before concluding with an epic look at Dune Part 3, the upcoming finale to Denis Villeneuve’s incredible trilogy that could win him an Oscar next year.
Troops of Emperor Paul Atreides marched onto the stage of the Dolby Colosseum at Caesars Palace, stomping away before a couple flew up into the air via harnesses.
That was before Denis himself, alongside Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya and Jason Momoa, entered the auditorium to tease the upcoming sci-fi conclusion set 17 years after Part 2.
Before debuting the world premiere of the first 7 minutes of Dune Part 3, Denis teased the new blockbuster as “an action-packed thriller”; one that is “more emotional” than the previous two instalments. Paul is dealing with the consequences of his actions, including his broken love story with Zendaya’s Chani. Chalamet shared: “He’s become this worst vision, and he’s struggling to retain the parts of himself he sees the most, still trying to protect his family while becoming the all-powerful Dark Emperor of the universe.” And then came the opening sequence of Dune Part III.
Dune Part 3 opens with rectangular-shaped spaceships descending upon a planet where the water falls from the sky, much to the amazement of Emperor Paul’s troops led by Javier Bardem’s Stilgar. It’s dark, tense and beautifully filmed, as you’d expect from Denis Villeneuve. And it isn’t long before we’re comparing this incredible footage to the D-Day opening of Saving Private Ryan. The ships open up like the landing craft in the World War 2 classic, and after a false moment of deadly silence, the enemy suddenly opens fire in a brutal surprise attack, before concluding this thrilling action-packed opening. Rest assured, it looks like fans are in for another masterpiece. And if that wasn’t enough, the epic 7-minute opening was followed by an extended new trailer offering a closer look at battle-hardened Paul, which drew thunderous applause from CinemaCon attendees. After a couple of snubs for the first two Dune films, perhaps the third film will finally win Denis his Best Director Oscar in 2027.
Dune: Part III hits cinemas on December 18, 2026.
