A Dune: Part Three star may have hinted at when shooting will end. Following the critical and commercial success of Denis Villeneuve’s two-part adaptation of Frank Herbert’s 1965 novel, the visionary director is now adapting Dune Messiah (1969), the second novel in the series, which continues the story of Paul Atreides and will complete his cinematic trilogy.

Dune: Part Three‘s cast officially includes the return of Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, and Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck. New cast members include Robert Pattinson, reportedly in the role of the villain Scytale, alongside Nakoa-Wolf Momoa as Leto II Atreides and Ida Brooke as Ghanima Atreides.

After shooting started in July 2025, a star may have hinted at when filming will be finished. Talking to Interview Magazine, Anya Taylor-Joy suggested that Dune: Part Three might complete production by the end of the year. The actress said she “will be in the Middle East until the end of the year,” before she’s back in London to do her next show. Read her full comment below:

I’ll be in the Middle East until the end of the year, and then I’m back in London on my next show.

What Anya Taylor-Joy’s Comment Means

Though Dune: Part Three could easily finish filming by the end of the year, there are still some uncertainties regarding Anya Taylor-Joy’s involvement and when shooting will end. First off, Taylor-Joy is not one of the officially confirmed cast members of Dune: Part Three, so it’s possible that she may be shooting something else in the Middle East.

However, it is likely that Taylor-Joy is filming Dune: Part Three in the Middle East, since it is where the desert scenes in Dune: Part Two were filmed, and is where they would likely return to for Part Three. Taylor-Joy made a cameo appearance in Dune: Part Two as Alia Atreides, and she’s expected to return for an increased role in Part Three.

Even then, it’s possible that only Taylor-Joy will finish shooting her scenes by the end of the year, and production on Dune: Part Three will continue after that. Regardless, it’s a positive sign both for the prospect of Taylor-Joy’s return as Alia Atreides and when Dune: Part Three will finish production.

Our Take On Dune: Part Three’s Filming

Dune: Part Three started shooting in July 2025, and if filming takes approximately five months, as it did on Dune: Part Two, it should be finished around November. In turn, finishing by the end of the year, as Anya Taylor-Joy suggests, is entirely possible. Either way, Dune: Part Three should have no problem being ready in time for its scheduled release date on December 18, 2026.