Robert Pattinson on Filming DUNE: PART THREE in The Blazing Hot Desert: “I Did Not Have a Single Functioning Brain Cell”
Robert Pattinson has been tackling one major project after another lately, but it sounds like his time filming Dune: Part Three may have pushed him to his physical limits.
The actor recently shared what it was like shooting under the brutal desert sun with director Denis Villeneuve, and it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park.
In a recent interview with IndieWire, the Batman star reflected on how the scorching heat affected his time on set.
“When I was doing Dune it was so hot in the desert that I just couldn’t question anything,” Pattinson said.
“And it was so relaxing, like my brain actually wasn’t operating. I did not have a single functioning brain cell. And I was just listening to Denis [Villeneuve]: ‘Whatever you want!’”
The upcoming film, Dune: Part Three, continues Villeneuve’s ambitious adaptation of Frank Herbert’s legendary sci-fi saga. The story will be based on Dune Messiah, Herbert’s 1969 novel that explores Paul Atreides’ struggle to deal with the consequences of his Fremen-led jihad after rising to power as Emperor Muad’Dib.
Pattinson is reportedly set to play the villainous Scytale, a key figure from the Dune universe. That role puts him alongside a powerhouse ensemble that includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Charlotte Rampling, Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, and Stephen McKinley Henderson.
The sequel lineup also brings in Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, Christopher Walken, Austin Butler, and Souheila Yacoub, while Jason Momoa will return for the third installment.
Dune: Part Three is set to hit theaters on December 18, 2026, and it’s sure to be another cinematic event for fans.
Meanwhile, Pattinson’s currently promoting his new film Die My Love, where he stars opposite Jennifer Lawrence, and he just wrapped Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey. On top of that, he’s gearing up to return to Gotham for The Batman: Part II with Matt Reeves back in the director’s chair.