The Dune: Part Three trailer launch took place in Los Angeles this week, just a day after many of the trilogy’s stars attended the 98th Academy Awards. The cast made headlines for their Oscars appearances – Zendaya surprised fans when she presented an award with Dune newcomer Robert Pattinson, while Javier Bardem spoke out against war before announcing the Best International Picture.
However, all eyes were, undoubtedly, on Timothée Chalamet after his months-long Oscar campaign for the Best Actor award. Despite losing out to Michael B. Jordan, the Marty Supreme star appeared in good spirits alongside his girlfriend, Kylie Jenner, with the couple also captured sharing a sweet moment with his older sister, Pauline.
Although he was in LA for the Oscars this weekend, Timothée was notably absent from the Dune: Part Three trailer launch at AMC Century City on Monday 16th March, the day after the Academy Awards. While he didn’t attend the launch in person, Timothée did share a message for fans via a pre-recorded video message. He said (per People): “After two impactful films with an in-development process that started in the [mid-2010s], a production process that started in 2018 and over 150 production days across the three films at large, today we are debuting the trailer to Dune: Part Three. This film would not exist without the master of cinema, the great artist that is Denis Villeneuve.”
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He also added: “I’m not alone in saying thank you to Denis for his dedication in bringing the Dune films to life and now the Dune trilogy to life. I hope you enjoy this first sneak peek at Dune: Part Three.”
According to multiple outlets, a representative for Timothée did not comment on his absence. However, it’s worth noting that – despite increasing online speculation – he wasn’t the franchise’s only missing star. Zendaya, Robert Pattinson, Anya Taylor-Joy and Javier Bardem did appear on the panel alongside director Denis Villeneuve, but several of the film’s cast also didn’t attend, including Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Rebecca Ferguson and Lea Seydoux.
Dune: Part Three is set for UK release on 18th December 2026.