Abu Dhabi’s Liwa desert to star in Denis Villeneuve’s Hollywood epic 'Dune 3'

Dubai: “See you at the Oscars,” Josh Brolin had told me with a wink during our whirlwind Abu Dhabi interview for Dune: Part Two. Behind us, the sprawling Al Wathba desert stood as a silent witness to his cheeky confidence. Fast-forward, and it looks like the UAE’s deserts are ready for another big-screen encore.

The Abu Dhabi Film Commission today took to Instagram to confirm that the Liwa desert’s otherworldly landscape will once again serve as a crucial backdrop for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Three.

The Creative Media Authority and the Commission will provide essential logistical support, reaffirming the emirate’s reputation as a world-class filmmaking hub.

It’s a natural continuation of a love affair. Villeneuve himself once told Gulf News in an earlier interview: “The desert and me, it’s a love affair… It’s brutal, but it nourishes my soul deeply.”

For Dune: Part Two, he devoted nearly a month to filming in Abu Dhabi, describing the experience as both magnificent and humbling. Actor Josh Brolin echoed the sentiment, calling the desert “life’s biggest leveller” and crediting the location for forging a family-like bond among the cast and crew.

The results spoke for themselves. Dune’s first instalment collected 10 Oscar nominations in 2021, winning six golden statuettes, while Part Two — filmed extensively in the UAE — has been hailed as one of the standout films of 2024.

Villeneuve, Brolin, and co-star Dave Bautista had mixed feelings about Oscar recognition when I asked them, but their pride in the artistry — and in the desert that helped shape it — was undeniable.

The UAE's cinematic credentials go far beyond Dune.

From Tom Cruise dangling off the Burj Khalifa in Mission: Impossible – Ghost Protocol to the adrenaline-fueled stunts of Furious 7, the UAE has steadily become Hollywood’s desert of choice. Its appeal lies not only in the raw spectacle of its landscapes but also in the infrastructure and incentives: a 30% rebate, a ready pool of local talent, and production facilities that rival international set ups.

For Dune, however, Abu Dhabi is more than a backdrop — it’s a character in itself. The sweeping dunes of Liwa doubled as Arrakis, giving Villeneuve’s operatic vision the authenticity and scale that a soundstage could never replicate. With Part Three, the saga returns full circle to the very terrain that has defined its identity.

As Villeneuve and his galaxy of stars — from Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya to Brolin and Bautista — prepare to bring the next chapter to life, one thing is clear: Abu Dhabi isn’t just supporting global cinema, it’s shaping it.