New ‘Dune: Part Three’ Look at Florence Pugh’s Irulan Shows the Princess Has Become a Power Player

Princess Irulan spent much of the last film at the edge of the story. She narrated, observed and watched events she had limited power to shape, until Paul Atreides made her a political bride in the final moments. With ‘Dune: Part Three‘ approaching, that quiet role looks very different.

At the end of ‘Dune: Part Two’, Paul married the Emperor’s daughter to secure his claim to the throne, and Zendaya’s Chani rode off alone into the desert. The new film jumps nearly 2 decades ahead, to a point where Paul rules an empire built on holy war. Florence Pugh’s Irulan is now part of the imperial court, and she is sitting at the heart of its tensions.

Fresh images have given audiences a new look at how the character has changed. Two portraits show Pugh as Irulan Corrino in dark, layered head coverings, with warm amber light across her face. In one, she wears a gray textured hood with a blurred, veiled figure behind her. In the other, she wears a dark wrap that frames her face as she looks off-camera with a guarded expression.

New look at Florence Pugh as Irulan Corrino in ‘DUNE: PART THREE’. 📷 https://t.co/Lu5eHcpBnn

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The styling is a deliberate departure from her earlier look. Rather than the ceremonial regalia of a princess, Irulan appears wrapped in dark fabric that matches the film’s tense, closed-in atmosphere. Empire released an exclusive image showing her in a pale, columned hall with a veiled figure beside her, which hints at quiet scheming within the court.

Empire’s December issue promises an interview with Pugh about Irulan’s political machinations. That language suggests a far more active character than audiences saw before. Villeneuve also said during the ‘Part Two’ press tour that a third movie would deepen the roles of Pugh, Léa Seydoux and Anya Taylor-Joy, who all had limited screen time.

Earlier posters showed Irulan covered in what looked like clay, a choice that divided even book readers. Pugh addressed it herself on Instagram, telling followers to check out why Irulan has a clay mask in the film. Online jokes compared it to a skincare routine or heavy sunscreen.

The most popular theory ties the mask to Robert Pattinson’s Scytale, a shape-shifting Face Dancer who serves as the film’s main villain. If he can copy a person’s appearance, the clay could protect her from having her face stolen. That remains speculation, but it gives the hooded images extra intrigue, since identity appears to be a weapon in this story.

Do not fear the end. Dune: Part Three only in theaters and IMAX December 18. Tickets on sale now around the world. https://t.co/2uVNytBk6e #DuneMovie #FilmedForIMAX https://t.co/nIH9uZxCEB

— DUNE (@dunemovie) October 27, 2026

Irulan has been tied to the central conspiracy in the footage so far. In the July trailer, Scytale explained that the plot aims for regime change, and Irulan responded by warning that he had just signed their death warrants. In the final trailer, Paul uses the Voice against her to learn about Chani’s involvement in an assassination plot.

The relationship between the 2 women is a major source of tension. Pugh sent a pre-recorded message to Zendaya at a trailer event asking what Chani thinks of Irulan now, and Zendaya replied that she loves Pugh and hoped for more scenes together after their brief glance in the previous film. In the books, Irulan is Imperial Consort but Paul’s wife in name only, a position that breeds the kind of scheming the images suggest.

Pugh is having an especially busy stretch. She also plays Yelena Belova in ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, which opens on the same day as ‘Dune: Part Three’ on December 18. That makes her one of the few actors appearing in both of the films behind the Dunesday showdown.

The film arrives in theaters and IMAX on December 18, with international release beginning December 16. It runs about 2 hours and 30 minutes, and London’s BFI IMAX has already set a first-day presale record. Villeneuve has called it a more action-packed and tense thriller than the earlier films.

If these new looks are any indication, Irulan will be more than a footnote in the finale. The quiet moments in the throne room may matter as much as the battles on the sand. For now, fans have another piece of a puzzle that will only be completed in theaters.

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