There are few things harder than declaring a contemporary film has truly reshaped the already vast and well-established landscape of science fiction. But Denis Villeneuve’s “Dune” franchise has managed just that. Since its debut in 2021, the epic saga led by Timothée Chalamet has captivated audiences, many of whom were already familiar with earlier adaptations by David Lynch and John Harrison.
Now the franchise that has become the face of 21st-century science fiction is moving into its third chapter. “Dune: Messiah,” scheduled for release on December 18 next year, officially began filming today in Budapest, Hungary. Expectations were already sky-high, but new production details have made its ambition even clearer.
Why Shooting ‘Dune: Messiah’ Entirely in IMAX Is a Big Deal
In an interview with CNBC Television, IMAX CEO Bob Gelfond confirmed that “Dune: Messiah” will be shot entirely on IMAX film cameras. Just when it seemed like cinema technology could not push further, Denis Villeneuve’s upcoming installment promises an immersive experience unlike anything audiences have seen before.
Source: IMDb
It is worth noting that “Dune: Messiah” came extremely close to being the first major picture ever shot from start to end with IMAX cameras. However, Christopher Nolan’s “The Odyssey” narrowly beat it to the milestone. Scheduled for release on July 17, 2026, Nolan’s adaptation of the ancient Greek epic stars Matt Damon as Odysseus and Tom Holland as Telemachus. Like “Messiah,” it was all crafted with IMAX and has already begun showing its first trailer in select theaters.
This raises a fair question. If “The Dark Knight,” “Interstellar,” “Avengers: Endgame,” and “Oppenheimer” were praised for their IMAX visuals, were they exaggerating? Not exactly. Those movies used IMAX cameras only for select scenes—often the most visually spectacular ones.
Traditional IMAX 65mm film cameras are enormous, noisy, and hard to handle. They make close-quarters or dialogue-driven scenes incredibly difficult to shoot. In fact, during some of Nolan’s earlier IMAX efforts, actors had to re-record their lines in post-production because the cameras were too loud on set.
There are more reasons why full-IMAX shoots have been rare. IMAX film stock is extremely expensive to produce and process. Most directors use it sparingly to highlight large-scale moments or action sequences. Additionally, IMAX film reels only last a few minutes before needing to be changed. Even with digital IMAX formats, the data load is massive, making full-length production a technical headache until very recently.
According to World of Reel, IMAX recently addressed many of these challenges by developing a new generation of cameras. These upgraded models are about 30 percent quieter, making it possible to capture usable dialogue during filming. They are also lighter, built with carbon fiber materials, and allow for faster film scanning and even real-time playback of dailies on set. All of this has opened the door for a new era of full-IMAX productions.
So, it looks like “Dune: Messiah” will be presented in full-frame IMAX 1.43:1 aspect ratio for its entire runtime. The next challenge lies with theaters around the world. While some are already equipped for this format, others will need to upgrade or adapt in order to meet the demands of what may become one of the most visually advanced productions ever released.
