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Calling Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies a massive success would be an understatement. The director took Frank Herbert’s iconic but lowkey forgotten novels and turned them into a state-of-the-art visual experience that belongs in the museum — and of course, by doing so, recruited millions of brand new fans for the franchise.

Following Dune 2’s great performance, it was only a matter of time until the third installment would be underway. Now, Dune 3 is not only announced and greenlit, but finally has an official release window — and a rumored release date. Big things are in the works for Arrakis and Paul Atreides; here’s what we know so far.

When Will Dune 3 Be Released?

After several months of speculations, the official confirmation from IMAX suggests that Dune: Part 3 is expected to premiere in 2026. The movie doesn’t have a title just yet, but the gist itself is commendable — even though we’ll clearly have to wait for at least two more years before we can revisit Arrakis alongside rebellious Paul Atreides.

This information falls into place with the previous “leak” which suggested that Villeneuve’s next movie would be released on December 18, 2026. That time around, we didn’t know whether it was Dune 3 or not, but the implication was there. Unfortunately, if both these bits of information are true, we’re in for 2.5 years of waiting instead of just two.

Dune 3 Is Huge for Paul Atreides

The first two Dune movies only covered the events of Frank Herbert’s first novel, and the next two films are expected to cover the second, concluding Paul Atreides’ story. In terms of sheer scale, the upcoming Dune 3 will be gargantuan even compared to the great titans that came before it as the narrative finally leaves Arrakis behind… To some extent, of course.

Dune 2 left off with Paul Atreides and his allies beginning a war against the other Houses. Despite his exposing the Emperor and the Harkonnens and taking a wife that somewhat guaranteed his legitimacy, others refused to recognize Paul’s authority — and while the war looks rigged in their favor, we’ll see how events unfold. Paul has a few aces up his sleeve, and 2026 will be huge for him.