Frank Herbert’s Dune books are dense, and so is the teaser trailer for Dune: Part Three. Set to another dramatic score by Hans Zimmer, the first look at the conclusion to director Denis Villeneuve’s trilogy is packed with new characters and plot details that make a lot more sense if you’ve read Dune Messiah (and the other sequels to Dune). If not, you may be feeling pretty confused. Allow us to help. Here’s a breakdown of who’s who and what’s going on in the Dune: Part Three trailer.
[Ed. note: This article contains spoilers for Frank Herbert’s Dune books and Dune: Part Two]
Alia’s All Grown Up
Anya Taylor-Joy made her first appearance as Alia Atreides in Dune: Part Two when Paul spoke to a future version of his sister after drinking from the Water of Life to unlock his prophetic powers as the Kwisatz Haderach. Paul’s mom, Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson), was pregnant with Alia when she became a Fremen Reverend Mother, and the ritual also imbued her child with many of the same powers. Now a young adult, Alia will help maintain Paul’s rule.
The Children of Dune
The trailer opens with Chani (Zendaya) and Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) sharing a tender moment where they name their future children, Leto and Ghanima. They’ve apparently reconciled after Chani stormed off at the end of Dune: Part Two. They’ll get to use both names, as Chani has twins at the end of Dune Messiah. The kids will be played by Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke.
Villeneuve is moving on after this film, but Leto II and Ghanima are the main characters of the next book in Herbert’s series, Children of Dune. Set nine years after the events of Dune Messiah, the book follows the twins as they try to protect Arrakis and the sandworms from the schemes of their aunt Alia, who has fallen under the psychic influence of Baron Harkonnen through her connection to her ancestral memories. Eventually, Leto II decides the best way to do this is to turn himself into a human-sandworm hybrid. The next book, God Emperor of Dune, skips ahead 3,500 years into the future, when Leto II is still in charge. Yeah, it’s weird; we understand why Villeneuve is tapping out now.
Who is Robert Pattinson playing?
The Batman and Twilight star Robert Pattinson is joining the series as the shapeshifter Scytale. He’s a member of the Tleilaxu, a group that specializes in biological manipulation. Scytale is part of a conspiracy to overthrow Paul that includes Paul’s wife Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) and the Bene Gesserit Reverend Mother Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling). That scheme involves giving Paul a gift, a clone of his former mentor and swordmaster Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), who sacrificed himself to save Paul and Jessica in Dune.
Dune: Part Three will be released in theaters on Dec. 18.
