Dune: Part Three star confirms they are only in "one scene" of film ahead of first trailer today – as character posters released

Several major stars including Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya will be reprising their roles for the upcoming third film in Denis Villeneuve's Dune trilogy – but one key actor has revealed that her part in the movie will be rather limited.

Rebecca Ferguson – who can currently be seen in cinemas in Peaky Blinders: The Immortal Man – divulged the information during a recent appearance on Josh Horowitz’s Happy Sad Confused podcast, explaining that at one point her character Lady Jessica may not have been included in the film at all.

"I just dipped my toe in. I have no, sort of, comments on it," she said, before adding that fans can expect big things from the project.

"The script is great, I’ve read it. I think it’s gonna be fantastic," she explained. "But my journey was No 1 and 2. I don’t even think she [my character] was supposed to be in 3. And then Denis was like, ‘I need to have one scene,’ and I get one scene."

Lady Jessica, the mother of Chalamet's lead character Paul Atreidis, played a crucial role in the first two films but does not appear in Frank Herbert's sequel novel Dune Messiah (on which the third film is based), so it will be interesting to see what form her brief appearance will take.

Speaking about filming her minor part, Ferguson explained: "That was a weird feeling, walking onto a set that you know so well, and knowing that you don’t have a part of it.

"There’s a lot of FOMO. And the acceptance of, ‘This is just what it is.’ You just have to serve [the story].”

Dune: Part Three is currently scheduled to be released on Friday 18th December 2026 – the same day as another huge blockbuster in Avengers: Doomsday – and a new trailer is expected to be released today (Tuesday 17 March).

Ahead of the trailer, some new character posters were released showing the major players in the film, including both familiar characters such as Chalamet's Paul and Zendaya's Chani and new faces including Robert Pattinson as shapeshifting villain Scytale.

You can check them out below:

Speaking at a Variety-hosted event last month, Chalamet gave Dune fans some intriguing hints at what they can expect from the upcoming film.

"On this third one, all the great s**t you see on screen is from freedom of movement and freedom of choice," he said. "And with Denis [Villeneuve, director], we really had a good rhythm. It's the eeriest one. It's a big swing."

We can't wait!

Dune: Part Three will be released in UK cinemas on 18 December 2026.

Check out more of our Film coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more TV recommendations and reviews, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.