Denis Villeneuve is moving closer to production on Dune: Messiah, the highly anticipated follow-up to Dune: Part Two, with filming expected to begin this summer. And while the returning cast is already stacked with stars like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Anya Taylor-Joy, Javier Bardem, and Jason Momoa, new additions are in the works—including one major name.
Robert Pattinson is being considered for the role of Scytale, a significant villain in the story, confirming The Hollywood Reporter. Scytale is a shape-shifting agent of the mysterious Tleilaxu, one of several factions plotting against Emperor Paul Atreides.
If confirmed, the role would mark another intriguing pivot for Pattinson, who in recent years has collaborated with top-tier directors like Christopher Nolan, Bong Joon Ho, David Cronenberg, James Gray, and now potentially Villeneuve. Known for choosing bold and often offbeat roles, Pattinson continues to distance himself from his early franchise fame with challenging characters in complex worlds.
Dune: Messiah, based on Frank Herbert’s novel, picks up 12 years after the events of the previous film. Paul Atreides, now Emperor, finds himself trapped by the religious cult that has formed around him and the brutal jihad waged in his name. Behind the scenes, a secret conspiracy involving the Bene Gesserit, the Spacing Guild, and the Tleilaxu threatens to unseat him by resurrecting his old friend Duncan Idaho as a ghola — essentially a clone engineered for manipulation.
While the first two Dune films followed a classic hero’s arc, Messiah shifts sharply into darker territory. Herbert’s second book dismantles the myth of the hero, revealing Paul’s rise to power as the beginning of something far more ominous.
There are also changes behind the camera. Greig Fraser, who lensed the first two films, is stepping aside, with Oscar-winning cinematographer Linus Sandgren (La La Land) taking over. Hans Zimmer is expected to return to compose the score.
Although Warner Bros. has yet to officially announce the release date, the studio has reserved a December 2026 slot for the film — hinting that Dune: Messiah may land there.
