Timothée Chalamet expected ‘Dune: Part Three‘ to bring Paul Atreides’ story closer to its end, but the final days of filming affected him on a much more personal level.
After spending nearly a decade tied to the sci-fi world, the actor found himself thinking about how quickly the entire journey had passed. Now, he has revealed why finishing the trilogy left him feeling “melancholic”.
Timothée Chalamet Found The ‘Dune: Part Three’ Goodbye Harder Than Expected
At the ‘Dune: Part Three‘ Global IMAX Fan Event in Los Angeles, Timothée Chalamet looked back at all three films. Chalamet described the latest chapter as “the most emotive on a personal level.” Picking one favorite filming experience was not easy for him. “I don’t know what my favorite scene to shoot was in this movie,” Chalamet said.
Instead, his thoughts went to the years he had spent playing Paul Atreides, a role he first landed in 2018 before 2021’s ‘Dune: Part One‘ arrived in theaters. “I’ve been living with this for so long,” he explained.
“I’m so proud to live with it. I’m so proud to work with Denis and this family. So I felt there was a finality in the exercise that I was kind of nostalgic about, even in the moment, even though I was 29 when we shot this.” The ending clearly stayed on his mind, as he added, “I still felt like I was losing a part of me by getting through it.”
The Final Film Pushes Paul Atreides Into More Dangerous Territory
‘Dune: Part Three‘ continues after the ending of 2024’s ‘Dune: Part Two‘, which saw Paul gain immense power on Arrakis and forcibly claim the emperor’s throne. Unlike the first two films, which adapted Frank Herbert’s 1965 debut novel, the upcoming conclusion takes its story from the author’s 1969 sequel, ‘Dune Messiah‘.
In case you missed it: How Paul’s Story Ends In ‘Dune’ Books
Even as the story entered stranger territory, Chalamet said the filmmakers never tried to soften its ideas with humor. “The concepts in this movie are out there. And I don’t think we ever had a comedic point of view, for lack of a better expression, about it. I think everyone took it at face value. It’s hard not to.”
For Chalamet, such commitment had been present since the beginning. Still, completing the film brought sadness too. Chalamet recalled feeling “melancholic to be moving on from this incredible family, incredible crew,” adding, “I just couldn’t believe how quickly the experience came and went.”
Chalamet may have started the journey as a young actor taking on one of sci-fi’s biggest characters, but nearly a decade later, leaving Paul Atreides behind has clearly not been easy.
You might also like to read: The Dark Messiah Storyline That ‘Dune: Part Three’ Will Finally Bring To Spotlight
