New ‘Dune: Part Three’ Images Reveal Robert Pattinson’s Eerie Scytale and Anya Taylor-Joy’s White-Robed Alia

Denis Villeneuve’s ‘Dune’ saga is racing toward its finale, and ‘Dune: Part Three’ has been feeding fans a steady stream of character reveals as its release gets closer. The film is inspired by Frank Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah and is billed as the epic conclusion to the trilogy. It picks up after Paul Atreides has claimed the throne and set a holy war in motion.

Nearly two decades have passed since Paul seized control of the Imperium. He is now a ruthless Emperor who must face the consequences of his reign, as old allies return, terrifying new threats emerge and betrayal lurks in every shadow. His political marriage to Princess Irulan has also pushed Chani away.

Now a new pair of portraits puts the spotlight on two of the finale’s most intriguing figures. Robert Pattinson appears as the villain Scytale, while Anya Taylor-Joy is shown as Paul’s sister Alia Atreides. The images are credited to Vogue.

Pattinson’s portrait is the more startling of the two. Scytale has pale skin, cropped bleached hair and no eyebrows, and a slim dark tube curves from his cheek to his upper lip. He stands in sunlight wearing a tan vest over dark clothing, which gives the shot a strange mix of desert practicality and clinical coldness.

New look at Robert Pattinson and Anya Taylor-Joy in ‘DUNE: PART 3’. (Source: https://t.co/Rd8bH5LtWp) https://t.co/MqQa6k4xpv

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In the story, Scytale is a shape-shifting Face Dancer from the Bene Tleilax who plots against Paul. That makes his appearance a key part of the character, since a Face Dancer’s menace depends on being hard to read. Pattinson explained in an interview with Empire that he had wanted Scytale to look visibly alien, while Villeneuve’s early idea was for him to look like himself.

Shortly before filming, the director emailed him a new concept. Pattinson felt the result looked as though the character had been grown in a lab. Pattinson has said he was a big fan of Villeneuve’s earlier ‘Dune’ films before the chance to join the cast came along. At a trailer event, he also described Scytale as an unusual character whose loyalty is hard to pin down and who is not a conventional bad guy.

Taylor-Joy’s portrait is a study in contrast. She sits perfectly still in a white hooded robe, with the fabric draped around her, against a patterned teal backdrop. It is a calm, almost sacred image for a character who has already been teased as a dangerous presence.

Alia only appeared as a vision in ‘Dune: Part Two’, so the finale marks her fuller arrival. In the story she is pre-born, carrying the memories of earlier Reverend Mothers. Taylor-Joy has described the role as an intense blessing and curse, and Timothée Chalamet has said her performance is genuinely frightening. An earlier poster showed Alia in a blood-spattered close-up, screaming at something off-screen.

“Forgive me for all I’ve done.” Experience the epic conclusion. Dune: Part Three only in theaters and IMAX December 18. #DuneMovie #FilmedforIMAX https://t.co/x9Nftg9yXd

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Costume designer Jacqueline West returns for the final chapter. Linus Sandgren steps in as cinematographer, taking over from Greig Fraser, who shot the first 2 films. Hans Zimmer is composing the score. Production designer Patrice Vermette and editor Joe Walker also return from the earlier films, which keeps much of the trilogy’s behind-the-camera team intact.

The returning ensemble includes Chalamet as Paul, Zendaya as Chani, Florence Pugh as Irulan and Javier Bardem as Stilgar. Nakoa-Wolf Momoa and Ida Brooke play Paul and Chani’s twin children, Leto II and Ghanima. Jason Momoa also returns in a new form as Hayt, a ghola created in the image of the fallen swordmaster Duncan Idaho.

‘Dune: Part Three’ arrives in theaters and IMAX on December 18, 2026. That is the same day as ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, a clash fans have nicknamed “Dunesday”. Before then, both earlier ‘Dune’ films return to IMAX with a double feature on November 13, followed by individual screenings from November 14 to November 18, with a sneak peek at the finale attached.

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