Robert Pattinson confirms his ‘Dune 3’ role, joking about filming in scorching desert heat while hinting he’s playing the mysterious Scytale.
After months of speculation, The Batman star Robert Pattinson has finally confirmed that he’s joining Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three.
In a recent interview with IndieWire, Pattinson casually revealed his involvement while describing the intense desert conditions during filming.
“When I was doing Dune, it was so hot in the desert that I just couldn’t question anything,” Pattinson said. “It was so relaxing — like my brain actually wasn’t operating. I did not have a single functioning brain cell.”
While Warner Bros. and Villeneuve haven’t officially commented, Pattinson is rumored to be playing Scytale, a shape-shifting Tleilaxu Face Dancer from Frank Herbert’s Dune: Messiah.
In the novel, Scytale leads a conspiracy against Paul Atreides, teaming up with the Bene Gesserit and the Spacing Guild in an attempt to overthrow the Emperor.
The third installment, adapted from Dune: Messiah, is expected to take place 12 years after the events of Dune: Part Two.
Paul Atreides, played by Timothée Chalamet, now rules as a god-like Emperor whose conquest has resulted in billions of deaths — leaving him surrounded by enemies.
Filming for Dune 3 began in summer 2025 in Budapest, Hungary, but Pattinson’s comments suggest he may have already wrapped his scenes.
The movie will also see the return of Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Florence Pugh, and Jason Momoa.
Dune: Part Three is scheduled to hit theaters December 18, 2026.
