20 Most Anticipated Movies For The Rest Of 2026

The third and apparently final entry into Denis Villeneuve's Dune franchise can't not be one of the most exciting releases of the year, per both the high standard set by its two predecessors and Villeneuve's generally exceptional filmmaking chops.

Dune: Part Three is based on Frank Herbert's 1969 sequel novel Dune Messiah and leaps forward many years to follow Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) as the conflicted Padishah Emperor.

Anyone who knows much at all about Dune Messiah will appreciate that it's an extremely out-there story, even for Herbert's standards, so it'll certainly be interesting to see how Villeneuve adapts it for the big screen. Considering the success he had bringing the original novel to fruition with most of its strangeness intact, there's no reason to doubt him knocking it out of the park for the third time running.

And in addition to all the expected returning cast members, Robert Pattinson will join the fray as the villainous Scytale. Get hype.

Dune: Part Three releases on December 18.