The Dune franchise is returning to Abu Dhabi for a third time. Dune: Part Three, set to release in December 2026, will begin shooting in the UAE capital later this year, according to the Abu Dhabi Film Commission.
“The sweeping dunes of Liwa Desert return to the big screen as filming begins in Abu Dhabi later this year for the next chapter in the Dune saga,” the commission said on Instagram.
Creative Media Authority and Abu Dhabi Film Commission will provide logistical support, while Abu Dhabi production company Image Nation will be a production partner.
Sameer Al Jaberi, head of Abu Dhabi Film Commission, says: “The return of Dune to Abu Dhabi is proof of what smooth, world-class production support can achieve. Our past shoots with Legendary Pictures have shown the value of a co-ordinated approach; we offer an amazing desert landscape, experienced crew and a film-friendly environment to ensure the production process runs as smoothly as possible.”
The dates and duration of the shoot have yet to be revealed. Stars Timothee Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin are all set to return, joined by franchise newcomer Robert Pattinson.
There was a significant jump in Abu Dhabi's involvement between the first and second films in the series. The first instalment – released in 2021 – comprised five days of filming in the emirate. For the second, the production team spent almost a month in the desert, building a “village” in Liwa with local support.
“What I found in Abu Dhabi is unmatchable. There’s a scale to the dunes and the desert in a variety of shapes that we thought was absolutely mesmerising,” director Denis Villeneuve said in 2021.
“There are also some climatic conditions there that were perfect for us because of the proximity to the city; it's like a strange kind of haze in that air that I was looking for that matched totally with the look of the film.”
Dune: Part Three will be the latest in a string of Hollywood blockbusters that have been recently filmed in Abu Dhabi. F1 The Movie, which shot for more than a month in the emirate in 2024, recently crossed $600 million at the global box office. The Now You See Me: Now You Don't threequel, which was also filmed in the city, is set for release later this year.
“Building on the legacy of Mission: Impossible, F1 The Movie, and Dune: Part Two, Abu Dhabi continues to attract the world’s most ambitious productions,” says Mohamed Dobay, acting director general, Creative Media Authority. “This longstanding partnership reflects the trust we have built with world-class filmmakers, rooted in the strength of our production ecosystem, the expertise of our specialised professionals and the exceptional support of our partners.”
Creative Media Authority is also currently recruiting UAE-based interns for the Dune: Part Three shoot, after five worked on Dune: Part Two. A record 15 UAE-based interns worked on F1 The Movie.
“With the next chapter of the Dune saga returning to our famous Liwa Desert, we want to give more aspiring, locally based talent the opportunity to be part of this massive production,” says Aysha Al Jneibi, the CMA's director of talent management.
