Robert Pattinson Confirms Dune 3 Role, Drops New Filming Details
Robert Pattinson confirms his involvement in Dune 3, teasing filming plans as Denis Villeneuve readies the next chapter in Frank Herbert’s epic.
Well, that long-running rumor finally got the nod. Robert Pattinson basically confirmed he is in Denis Villeneuve's next Dune movie by, you know, talking about filming it. Subtle. Not subtle.
So... he is in Dune 3
Pattinson brought it up in an IndieWire chat with Jennifer Lawrence, where they were comparing notes on anxiety and the oddly calming side of working yourself into the ground. He described shooting in the desert like this:
"When I was doing Dune, it was so hot in the desert that I just couldn’t question anything. And it was so relaxing, like my brain actually wasn’t operating, I did not have a single functioning brain cell. And I was just listening to Denis: 'Whatever you want!'"
The key part is right up front: "When I was doing Dune." That sounds a lot like he has already been on set and likely finished his scenes. Also worth noting: he and Lawrence are co-starring in the upcoming film Die My Love, so this wasn’t a random one-off appearance where he misspoke.
Who he might be playing
Earlier this year, trade reports said Villeneuve was eyeing Pattinson for Scytale in the next film. That’s the shapeshifting operative from the Tleilaxu, often called a Face Dancer. If you’re deep into the Dune lore, you know Scytale is a major antagonist in Frank Herbert’s Dune Messiah and one of the more complicated pieces on the board. If those reports pan out, it’s a smart bit of casting — Pattinson has the range to make that character properly slippery.
What this Dune is
Dune 3 is Villeneuve’s adaptation of Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah — essentially the next chapter after Dune: Part Two. For timeline context: Villeneuve’s first Dune landed in 2021, the second chapter hit in 2024, and the new one is written by Villeneuve with Jon Spaihts. Warner Bros. has it on the calendar for theaters on December 18, 2026.
The lineup so far
- Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides
- Zendaya as Chani
- Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica
- Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan
- Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides
- Robert Pattinson — role not officially announced (Scytale is the leading guess)
Bottom line: Pattinson has effectively confirmed he’s in, it sounds like he already shot in the sand, and if he’s playing who everyone thinks he’s playing, that’s a fun wrinkle for Dune Messiah. December 2026 suddenly feels very far away.