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The IMAX boss is excited Dune: Part Three is being shot fully in IMAX... problem is, he may be wrong
Is Dune: Part Three Being Shot in IMAX? Here's what we know, and why everyone (including IMAX) is confused
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Everyone knows that Denis Villeneuve’s Dune movies are big — but there’s a little bit of confusion about how big, exactly, the next movie is going to be. Specifically, how much of the movie is going to be shot for IMAX.
The confusion stems from an appearance by IMAX CEO Richard Gelfond in CNBC, during which he suggested that Villeneuve was planning on shooting the entirety of the third and final part of his Dune trilogy for IMAX. “He’s making Dune, the next Dune, with IMAX cameras,” Gelfond said. “He’s filming the whole thing.”
That’s a big deal, because to date, only one other movie has ever been shot entirely on IMAX cameras: Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, which was announced as doing so back in May 2025. Previously, Dune and Dune: Part Two used IMAX cameras only for specific sections of the movie, as has become a tradition for blockbuster releases.
For those curious, shooting using IMAX cameras is different from traditional movie production because, unlike other movies shot “for IMAX” in studio terminology, it means shooting on celluloid as opposed to digitally, and in a different screen ratio to allow for IMAX projection, meaning that ideally the entire movie could be released in the taller IMAX ratio. Movies that are shot “for IMAX” are digital productions that are edited in post-production to have a taller aspect ratio for an IMAX screen.
As things currently stand, neither Warner Bros. nor Legendary Pictures has made any announcements surrounding Dune: Part Three — the title for the next Dune movie, despite fan speculation that it would be titled Dune Messiah after the book it adapts, being an all-IMAX camera production. There might be a reason for that: Gelfond might have been wrong. Variety reported that the movie would not be shot entirely with IMAX cameras, with the outlet suggesting it had inside (but un-sourced) knowledge leading them to believe he misspoke; an IMAX spokesperson cited by Gizmodo confirms that IMAX cameras will be used, but could not confirm whether or not it would be for the full film. Neither WB nor Legendary has commented on the matter as of writing.
That said, an answer might be forthcoming very shortly, as shooting has officially started for Dune: Part Three, as per an announcement made July 8. So, we know they’re filming the movie… surely it wouldn’t be so hard for someone involved to tell us what cameras are being used?
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