The cast and crew of the movie are heading to the capital once again.
Abu Dhabi has long been Hollywood’s favourite desert double, a cinematic sandbox where vast horizons and sculpted dunes become leading characters in their own right. Now, the capital is set to reprise its star turn as the Dune universe returns for Dune: Part Three, with cast and crew heading back to the emirate later this year.
The Abu Dhabi Film Commission confirmed the news on Instagram, noting that the sweeping dunes of Liwa will once again stand in for Arrakis. It’s a homecoming of sorts as both Dune: Part One (2021) and Dune: Part Two (2024) captured signature sequences across the emirate, from the Empty Quarter to the Al Wathba Fossil Dunes. Nearly 20 locations in Liwa were used for the second film alone, underscoring the variety and scale the region offers to filmmakers. Off-set, the links run deeper. The global premiere of Dune: Part Two took place in Abu Dhabi, while sightings of stars around Qasr Al Sarab Desert Resort by Anantara became part of the production’s lore.
What draws the franchise back is a natural desert set that needs little digital embellishment, reliable infrastructure, and a film-friendly ecosystem. Liwa’s topography of rippling dunes, horizon-wide vistas, and golden light will give the crew room to build atmosphere as well as spectacle.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune films chart a mythic coming-of-age set on Arrakis, a desert world whose precious spice powers interstellar travel and visions. Rival noble houses, secretive sisterhoods, and mercantile guilds manoeuvre for control, while indigenous Fremen guard their harsh homeland and its colossal sandworms. At the story’s centre is Paul Atreides, a gifted heir pulled between duty, prophecy, and survival as political tides shift around him.
While full casting details for Dune: Part Three remain under wraps, fans can reasonably expect familiar faces to return with Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya at the forefront.
Abu Dhabi has become a popular destination for filmmakers, and it’s not hard to see why. Other films, such as Fast & Furious, Mission Impossible, and Star Wars, have all been shot in the emirate.
GO: Visit www.film.gov.ae for more information.