Timothée Chalamet is teasing a return to Arrakis, as the star of the Dune franchise has posted an Instagram story that gives what appears to be the first look at the third chapter in the sci-fi series.

Just after noon ET on Friday, October 17, Chalamet posted a story on his official Instagram account that sees the Oscar-nominated actor, we presume, looking out toward a sunset in a desert environment. The post features text that reads “DUN3 LOADING…“. Check out the post directly below, shared by a separate account that screen-grabbed Chalamet’s original story:

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Dune: Part Three began production in July 2025, with director Denis Villeneuve sharing a picture of sand dunes via the official Dune Instagram account. Later, Anya Taylor-Joy, who is starring in the movie as Alia Atreides, said that production is expected to continue on the film until the end of the year. Dune: Part Three currently has a release date of December 18, 2026.

There was no additional context provided to Chalamet’s Instagram story, and unless the costume department is dramatically switching things up, the post does not reveal anything specific about the upcoming movie. So it can be up for interpretation what Chalamet’s post is referring to – perhaps they have begun on-location work in the desert. However, Chalamet certainly has gotten his 19.5 million followers on Instagram buzzing with the post.

Dune: Part Three will continue the story of Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, as he battles against his enemies in this epic space saga. Part Three is being adapted from Frank Herbert’s book Dune: Messiah, however, some tweaks are expected to be made. For instance, Rebecca Ferguson’s Lady Jessica and Josh Brolin’s Gurney Halleck are confirmed to be in the movie despite not appearing in the book, albeit in expected smaller roles.

Other members of the Dune cast returning for Part Three are Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Robert Pattinson, and Lea Seydoux.

The Dune franchise has become one of the biggest in Hollywood. It has achieved success at the box office, as the first two entries have made $1.12 billion worldwide; with critics, Dune: Part One is “Certified Fresh” at 83%, while Dune: Part Two is “Certified Fresh” at 92%; and with the Oscars, as the first two movies won eight Oscars out of a combined 15 nominations, including both entries earning a Best Picture nod.