Ahead of its theatrical debut, Josh Brolin says he's "super angry" about Dune: Part Three

Asked about the next chapter of Denis Villeneuve ’s saga during a Collider sit-down for his new project Whalefall, Josh Brolin joked that he’s already mad at Dune: Part Three—and he hasn’t even seen it yet. Host Steve Weintraub mentioned he’d heard from someone who caught a cut of the movie and “f****** loved it,” which set Brolin up for a deadpan bit about his own screen time.

“I believed I was the lead. And I’m pissed. I’m super angry about it.”

Brolin returns as Gurney Halleck, the battle-scarred Atreides warrior and mentor who’s been in the thick of it since Villeneuve’s first film. His mock outrage landed as a gag, but it does nudge a real question: how central will Gurney be in the trilogy’s finale?

The next film’s shape

Villeneuve recently told Empire that the tone and tempo will shift for the conclusion. “We are back with the same characters, but this time the world has totally changed,” he said, framing the story as a reckoning with what Paul Atreides set in motion after rising to power.

Dune: Part Three is set 17 years after Part Two, with Paul now Emperor and wrestling with the consequences of his rule. Villeneuve has described the movie as keeping the series’ identity while embracing a different rhythm and pace.

• The story jumps 17 years forward, with Paul dealing with the fallout of his reign.
• Villeneuve says the finale keeps the core of his first two films but changes the rhythm.
• Brolin’s Gurney Halleck returns alongside “the same characters,” per Villeneuve.
• Earlier reports said the film will include about 71 minutes of IMAX- exclusive footage.

As for that early reaction Weintraub relayed—someone who saw a cut and “f****** loved it”—Brolin laughed that he still hasn’t watched the movie himself, joking through gritted teeth about not being top-billed.

Dune: Part Three is slated to open in theaters on December 18, 2026 .