The opening seven minutes of Denis Villeneuve's forthcoming Dune: Part 3 have been likened to the iconic beach assault in Steven Spielberg's Saving Private Ryan. The footage, debuted at CinemaCon, shows Fremen warriors led by Stilgar (Javier Bardem) engaging in a brutal battle, with critics noting the visceral intensity reminiscent of Spielberg's 1998 war film.
Journalist Sean Fennessy wrote on X that the sequence was 'Saving Private Ryan in space,' while Deadpool creator Rob Liefeld described it as 'Denis channeling Saving Private Ryan in space. Gripping and bleak!' The comparison underscores Villeneuve's ambition to make Dune: Part 3 a more action-packed thriller than its predecessors.
Set 17 years after the events of Dune: Part Two, the film finds Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) fully embracing his darkest visions. In the opening clip, Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa) tells Paul: 'You have conquered the galaxy. You have destroyed thousands of worlds. I think you are way beyond redemption.' The new film also introduces Robert Pattinson as Scytale, a shapeshifting Tleilaxu Face Dancer who conspires to overthrow Paul.
Villeneuve told the CinemaCon audience: 'I didn't want to walk in my own footsteps. I wanted to do something new. It's more action-packed, faster-paced, and more emotional.' The cast includes returning stars Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, and Isaach De Bankolé.
Dune: Part 3, based on Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah, is scheduled for release on 18 December, coinciding with Marvel's Avengers: Doomsday.
