The 2020s have been a strong decade for Sci-Fi movies, and it’s only going to get better. Already, we’ve seen a strong mix of original concepts and franchise tentpoles that’ve provided us with some mind-bending twists and stunning visuals, from Tenet to Everything Everywhere All At Once through to Avatar: The Way of Water, to name but a few. It’s a genre that continues to prove reliable, and perhaps the best example this decade is the Dune franchise, which is responsible for two of the very greatest Sci-Fi movies in recent years, with a third film on the way.
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Dune: Part Two was a true masterpiece, with Denis Villeneuve delivering a sequel that topped the first movie in terms of quality, and at the box office as well (grossing $715m, compared to the first’s Covid-impacted-but-still-solid $411m). A third film, appropriately titled Dune: Part Three, is coming in 2026, and star Timothée Chalamet recently teased a first look at it with a BTS image shared to his Instagram Stories (captured by Secrets of Dune).
The image sees Chalamet, who plays Paul Atreides, looking off into the sunset at a desert location, with “DUN3 LOADING” written as the caption. This is presumably the film’s Abu Dhabi set, with shooting taking place on location in the Liwa Oasis, which will serve as the real-life version of the planet Arrakis. Production on the movie started in Budapest back in July before moving to the UAE, and the actor’s post may be teasing more official images to come from the movie now that a substantial amount should have been shot.
2026 Will Be A Great Year For Sci-Fi Movies (& Not Just Because Of Dune 3)
Dune 3 is one of the most exciting upcoming Sci-Fi movies, although it’s not without its challenges. Reaching the masterful heights of Part Two will be tricky, and adapting Frank Herbert’s book, Dune: Messiah, is a daunting prospect, as it’s a weirder and wilder story than the one told in the first two movies. Still, with Villeneuve back at the helm, and most of the cast returning – alongside some new additions such as Robert Pattinson – there’s little reason to doubt this will be another great entry into the genre, but it won’t be the only one in 2026.
This promises to be a classic year for Sci-Fi fans, with several releases of note. March 20th will see the release of the Ryan Gosling-led Project Hail Mary, based on a book by Andy Weir. The trailer looked great, and given the previous Weir adaptation gave us one of the 2010s’ best Sci-Fi movies in The Martian, there’s reason to be hopeful for this one. Speaking of which, just a week later, that film’s director genre legend Ridley Scott (Alien, Blade Runner) returns with The Dog Stars, a post-apocalyptic movie set after a virus almost wiped out humanity, starring Jacob Elordi.
Another Sci-Fi legend is also returning to the genre for the first time in years in 2026: Steven Spielberg. The man behind Close Encounters of the Third Kind and E.T. is going back to his roots with a currently untitled UFO project, which is expected to be thrilling and capture some classic Spielbergian magic. That has a prime summer release date, with it scheduled for June 12th.
Some more big franchise releases will fall at least somewhat close to the genre, including The Mandalorian and Grogu (May 22nd), Supergirl (July 26th), and Avengers: Doomsday (December 18th… the same day as Dune: Part Three). Even with all of that, I wouldn’t bet against Dune 3 being the pick of the bunch, but there’s a lot to be excited about, and hopefully we’ll know more about the return to Arrakis, and all the rest, sooner rather than later.
Dune: Part Three will be released on December 18th, 2026. The first two Dune movies are streaming on HBO Max.
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Image courtesy of Bethesda
