Dune: Part Three early IMAX Camera reports turn out to be wrong, details revealed

Timothée Chalamet will soon return as the messiah of Arrakis in Denis Villeneuve's epic saga, but unlike the initial reports, it will be titled Dune: Part Three.

The update comes from the latest report from Variety, which also corrects another detail about the film. Earlier, Dune: Part Three was said to be following the footsteps of Christopher Nolan's The Odyssey by shooting the entire film with an IMAX camera. However, the publication has now clarified that it won't be shot wholly with the proprietary cameras.

The previous update was hinted at during IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond's interview for CNBC. However, that doesn't paint the complete picture of the scenario. During the interview, Gelfond also referred to Villeneuve's latest Bond hiring by Amazon MGM while speaking about their collaboration on Dune: Part Three.

Per Variety, here's what Gelfond said:

“From a personal point of view, I was really happy. I like [Denis Villeneuve]. I think he’s a genius filmmaker. He’s so creative. He’s making the next ‘Dune’ — with IMAX cameras, he’s filming the whole thing. So we haven’t started talking yet, but I’m praying that that’s the case with Bond.”

According to the publication, Dune: Part Three will be partially shot with IMAX's proprietary cameras.

This might confuse some readers, considering the sheer number of blockbuster projects being released on IMAX screens these days. They might wonder: What's so special about the films "shot with IMAX cameras"? And how are they different than the ones "filmed for IMAX." Let's dive into it.

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Aren't all films shown at IMAX shot with IMAX camera?

No, not all films shown at IMAX screens are shot with IMAX's proprietary film cameras.

Most of them are filmed for IMAX, meaning they can be screened on the IMAX screens in the cinema halls, but are shot with certified digital, not proprietary film cameras. Here, the production is supervised by IMAX to achieve a desired cinematic impact. Some of its recent examples are Tom Cruise's Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning, Brad Pitt's F1, and the MCU's Thunderbolts*.

Unlike them, some films are shot with IMAX film cameras. Ryan Coogler used them for Sinners, Jordan Peele used them for Nope, and Christopher Nolan has used them for most of his projects, including Oppenheimer. So, for these films, the marketing will mention that they are "shot with IMAX film cameras." However, they are notoriously noisy cameras, which creates issues when you're trying to record dialogue on set.

The Odyssey is reportedly the first film that will be shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. Dune: Part Three will feature some sequences shot with IMAX cameras, like Sinners and Nope.

While breaking down the jargon, Bruce Markoe from IMAX told Variety:

“Those movies that were shot with our film cameras receive that kind of nomenclature. Those are different than the ‘Filmed for Imax’ movies, which are all shot with digital cameras. However, a lot of the same kind of process takes place in the making of the movie when they’re shooting with our film cameras. Those movies still do a lot of testing and reviews, and filmmakers work very closely with us throughout the entire production, since it’s our camera on set, whereas the ‘Filmed for Imax’ program is using certified digital cameras that are not necessarily unique to us.”

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Why is it Dune: Part Three and not Dune: Messiah?

The latest reports suggest that the film will be called Dune: Part Three and not Dune: Messiah. It is likely because Denis Villeneuve sees this trilogy as a diptych. Here's what he told Variety in 2024:

“First, it’s important that people understand that for me, it was really a diptych. It was really a pair of movies that will be the adaptation of the first book. That’s done and that’s finished. If I do a third one, which is in the writing process, it’s not like a trilogy. It’s strange to say that, but if I go back there, it’s to do something that feels different and has its own identity.”

Dune: Part Three will be based on the second novel Frank Herbert wrote and will star Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Jason Momoa, alongside Timothée Chalamet.

Dune: Part Three is scheduled to be released on December 18, 2026.