The first trailer of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three is finally here, and it looks like it will be a massive, politically charged finale to the epic sci-fi story. The clip came out when the fans were in a very special IMAX event, and the scene has changed so much since Paul and the desert planet Arrakis last appeared. The movie, which will premiere in IMAX theaters in December, is set two nearly 20-year interval after Dune: Part Two, when Paul has firmly established himself as the Emperor of the Imperium, but the weight of his throne is proving to be more than what any prophecy ever envisaged.
The opening of the trailer is creepy and everything about Paul’s visions has fallen on hard times. After being handed a roadmap, with his foresight almost enabling him to see through the future, he is now having to navigate a very foggy road. Timothée Chalamet as Paul is perhaps the most memorable at one moment in the movie, delivering a pair of lines that take the tone for the rest of the movie. He thinks about the peculiar nature of his gift: “The future always speaks to me, but now I don’t know what it has to say. This admission is particularly significant for those who have followed Paul’s path from reluctant heir to messianic figure, for he always knew how to foresee and shape outcomes. He is now without that clarity and must now play the dangerous game of the imperial politics with only his wits and the cold reality that his rule might be founded on sand.
But one of the most moving aspects to be touched on in the trailer is the story of Paul and Chani’s relationship with Zendaya’s Chani. Last time, their love story was one of the only things that was constant in a world of betrayal and ambition. The trailer, however, shows that Paul has been marrying politics with Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh), which has led to a rift between them that cannot be mended. The clip suggests that there may be moments of drama and heartbreak, as Chani seems further away from the viewer and more troubled than ever before. She has an intimate relationship with the Emperor, and it appears that their relationship has grown more complex as a result of the Emperor’s position and his actions in attaining it. If these followers have put a lot of faith into their relationship, this news will be devastating and also compelling as a story. Who will be able to live in love if it is on the altar of political necessity?
To the growing unrest comes one new addition, the shapeshifting Robert Pattinson as Scytale, Paul’s most powerful opponent yet. The trailer provides enough of Pattinson’s performance to hint that there’s an atmosphere of fear and mystery; that he is not only challenging Paul’s authority, but is seeking to upend the very supports of Imperial power. The arrival of Scytale means that Paul’s enemies aren’t just from rival houses or rebellious factions, they’re from something bigger than war. This shapeshifter is a new form of danger; one that can slip into the highest echelons of power undetected, and every alliance is suspect, every shadow is a hiding place for betrayal.
Official Synopsis for Dune: Part Three is a ruler haunted by his own legacy. Paul has been depicted as a ruthless Emperor who now faces the consequences of his rule, having been in control of the Imperium for almost 20 years. Old friends come and go, new dangers from strange quarters, and betrayals are rife in the shadows. As the story unfolds, Paul’s nightmares take him into a massive plot in which Chani plays the central role, a plot which brings about the fall of the empire and the return of his lost love. When the film opens, there is a sense of rebellion, with enemies closing in on the protagonist from all sides, and the true price of power is explored, as is the fate of those who are closest to the protagonist’s heart. It’s a thought provoking premise about leadership and whether a leader, be he cast or not, can avoid the compromises of absolute power.
Denis Villeneuve gave a close look at how the movie’s narrative stuck with him even after he took a break from making it, in the process revealing intimate details about his creative process during the IMAX fan event. He said he told his crew that he needed to take a break, that he was over and done it, and that he was ready to move on to another project. However, the pictures wouldn’t let him sleep. He woke up every night dreaming of Arrakis and its inhabitants, and could not seem to get away from this universe. This is the kind of commitment that has been the hallmark of Villeneuve’s work with the Dune franchise, his unwillingness to take anything less than a full-fledged movie experience, one that respects the complexity and depth of Frank Herbert’s source material.
