Why Has Denis Villeneuve Elected to Shoot 'Dune 3' On Film?

Denis Villeneuve's Dune: Part Three has officially begun filming, and the production is making waves with some reports that they're shooting on IMAX 65mm film.

This marks a significant departure from the first two films and promises an even more immersive and visually stunning cinematic experience.

While the previous Dune films were praised for their visuals, they were primarily shot on digital cameras and then transferred to film after the fact.

For Dune: Part Three, it appears Villeneuve is embracing analog filmmaking and shooting the whole thing on film.

Adding to the excitement is the confirmation that Linus Sandgren will be taking over as the director of photography, replacing Greig Fraser, who masterfully shot the first two installments.

Sandgren is known for his preference for shooting on film, shooting movies like La La Land and No Time to Die in his portfolio. His involvement further solidifies the expectation of a distinct and breathtaking visual style for the final chapter of this epic trilogy.

So far, we know that the film will be shot on IMAX 65mm. Now, I assume this is mixed with filming in another format, but that has not been announced yet. This decision, along with the choice of a new cinematographer, signals that Villeneuve is set to finish Dune entirely on film.

The initial news caused a stir when IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond suggested that the entire movie would be filmed with IMAX cameras. However, IMAX later clarified that while their cameras will be used, it will be for select sequences.

In a recent interview with Variety, Bruce Markoe, senior vice president and head of post-production at Imax, talked about the idea of “shot with Imax” and what it means for filmmakers and audiences across the world.

“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,” Markoe said. “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."

Dune: Part Three is slated for a December 18, 2026, release.

The film will star Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, alongside Zendaya, Florence Pugh, and Jason Momoa, who are reprising their roles.

I hope this switch encourages a lot of other big movies to make the leap to film in order to help preserve the medium.

Let me know what you think in the comments.