Robert Pattinson recently spoke about his involvement in Dune 3. Earlier this year, there were reports that Pattinson was in consideration for a role in Denis Villeneuve’s third Dune film. With his new remarks about the upcoming movie, Pattinson has effectively confirmed his casting. Notably, Dune 3 will serve as an adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah.
Robert Pattinson talks about working with Denis Villeneuve on Dune 3
Pattinson brought up Dune 3 during a sprawling interview with IndieWire. The Batman actor and his Die My Love co-star Jennifer Lawrence were discussing their careers and experiences with anxiety when Pattinson observed how “nice” exhaustion can be.
“When I was doing Dune, it was so hot in the desert that I just couldn’t question anything,” Pattinson recalled. “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 [Villeneuve]: ‘Whatever you want!’”
This potentially means that he has completed filming for Dune 3. As with his casting, there were a lot of reports about his character in the movie. Outlets such as The Hollywood Reporter cited sources to claim that Dune 3 was eyeing Pattison for the role of Scytale.
In Frank Herbert’s source material, Scytale is a Tleilaxu Face Dancer, a major antagonist, and one of the most complex individuals in a story filled with layered characters. If the casting reports are indeed accurate, the role would be a great fit for a versatile actor like Pattinson.
Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune film came out in 2021, and the second one in 2024. The upcoming sequel’s cast also includes Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Anya Taylor-Joy as Alia Atreides, among others.
Villeneuve penned the screenplay for Dune 3 with Jon Spaihts. The movie is scheduled to premiere in theaters on December 18, 2026.