Production designer Patrice Vermette says Dune: Part Three built a 55-ton spaceship for its opening battle. Speaking to Variety at the SCAD Savannah Film Festival, he described a practical set combining black sand, rain and a vessel that could be filmed inside and out.
A practical ship in a demanding environment
The team needed to lower and bury the ship for the sequence. Rain throughout the battle required supporting rigs and a pumping system to remove water.
Only one ship was constructed, but it allowed 360-degree coverage of both interior and exterior. A crane returned every two days to lift it. Tuoi Tre also relayed these production details from Vermette's conversation with Variety.
Director Denis Villeneuve's instruction was to avoid repeating earlier sets. Vermette said collaboration among department heads helped translate visual ideas into workable technical and logistical arrangements.
Paul Atreides returns in a later chapter
Timothee Chalamet returns as Paul Atreides. Inspired by Frank Herbert's Dune Messiah, the film takes place 17 years after the previous instalment and examines the consequences of Paul's rule as emperor.
Vermette's feature-film collaboration with Villeneuve began with Enemy in 2013, following their earlier work in advertising. He described a design approach in which objects must serve the story and feel grounded even within a fictional world.
Variety lists December 18 as the film's US theatrical release date. The spaceship construction provides a detailed look at the practical work behind the new instalment before its release.