Denis Villeneuve appears to be making a significant visual transformation for Dune: Part Three, news that should particularly excite advocates of traditional cinematography.
The forthcoming sequel, adapting Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah, will reportedly utilize actual film stock for at least portions of its production. This represents a dramatic departure from the digital methodology employed throughout the initial two Dune films, signaling a substantial aesthetic evolution for this continuously developing science fiction epic.
The revelation emerged through Kodak Motion Picture Film's official Instagram account. Although the Story post has since disappeared, screenshots and reposts circulating online suggest Dune: Part Three is incorporating Kodak's film products. While awaiting official confirmation, this aligns with several notable production changes occurring behind the scenes.
Primarily, Greig Fraser, the cinematographer responsible for the stunning imagery of Dune and Dune: Part Two, will not be returning. His commitment to The Batman: Part II created scheduling conflicts, with Linus Sandgren replacing him for Part Three. Sandgren demonstrates a documented preference for film-based shooting. Indeed, his major projects have consistently employed film rather than digital capture.
This selection would provide Dune: Part Three with a distinctive visual character, supporting Villeneuve's objective to differentiate this film from its predecessors.
As he previously stated, the upcoming installment "will not represent trilogy completion. The initial two films constituted a diptych. They formed a paired adaptation of the first novel. That's concluded and finished. If I create a third entry, currently in development, it won't function like a trilogy. It sounds unusual, but returning means creating something that feels different and possesses its own identity."
Villeneuve's pursuit of fresh identity extends to technical specifications. During the first two films' production, the team employed digital cameras, subsequently printing footage onto 35mm film and re-scanning it digitally. Fraser explained this approach during a Go Creative Show podcast interview:
"It was a complex process unprecedented in commercial filmmaking. However, it achieved our envisioned feeling—a painterly texture that feels timeless... The film softened digital edges. It provided something film acquisition couldn't deliver, and something digital acquisition couldn't provide."
Transitioning to complete film acquisition could enhance that timeless aesthetic further, offering more organic, textured visuals for Arrakis's harsh desert environment.
Recent camera format confusion has emerged. During a CNBC appearance, IMAX CEO Rich Gelfond claimed Villeneuve would shoot the entire film using IMAX cameras. This proved inaccurate. IMAX subsequently clarified that only selected scenes will employ IMAX cameras, representing standard practice for contemporary blockbusters.