Cinematographer Linus Sandgren on the set of 'Dune Part Three' ©Niko Tavernise For Dune: Part Three, director Denis Villeneuve had anamorphic lensmaker Atlas Lens hand-craft a custom IMAX lens designed specifically for the aesthetics of the sci-fi franchise.
The custom lenses were designed to capture Villeneuve’s specific visual style for the Dune films, particularly the signature flares and optical characteristics typically for scenes on the desert planet Arrakis.
Atlas developed the lenses in close partnership with director Villeneuve and Dune: Part Three cinematographer Linus Sandgren.
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“I envisioned lenses that could create specific optical characteristics, particularly the flares, that would be unique to this film,” said Sandgren. “Atlas rose to an incredible challenge, designing and hand-crafting these IMAX lenses in remarkable time. Their team worked around the clock to bring our vision to life, and the results are truly astonishing.”
Based on Sandgren and Villeneuve’s vision, Atlas used “new design techniques and coating methods to cater specifically to the IMAX format,” said Forrest Schultz, president, co-founder and Lead designer at Atlas Lens. “Our team met the challenge by expanding our machining capabilities, developing in-house coating equipment, and refining our build and calibration processes to meet the demands of the IMAX experience.”
Villeneuve said the custom lenses “allowed us to capture the essence of Arrakis in a way that was unique to this movie,” praising Atlas’ “dedication and craftsmanship [which] helped us bring another level of beauty and poetry to the screen.”
Timothée Chalamet and Robert Pattinson in the posters for ‘Dune: Part Three.’ Warner Bros. Atlas will showcase the new lenses at the upcoming Pacific Northwest Lens Summit in Portland (Mar. 20-21).
The first Dune (2021) won six Oscars, including best cinematography for cameraman Greig Fraser, who used a combination of Panavision spherical and anamorphic lenses, as well as a Zeiss Super Speeds lens for specific dream sequences. For Dune: Part Two (2024), Fraser used only spherical, not anamorphic lenses, but dirtied up the image with a series of vintage and specialized lenses, including a rehoused Soviet-era Helios 44, and 1980s Moviecams. Dune: Part Two received five Oscar nominations, including for best picture and best cinematography, and won Academy Awards for best sound and best visual effects.
All three films were made under the Filmed For IMAX program, an exclusive partnership that gives select directors access to IMAX’s proprietary technology throughout the production process.
Directed by Villeneuve and written by Villeneuve and Brian K. Vaughan, Dune: Part Three is based on Frank Herbert’s novel Dune Messiah and set up as the epic conclusion to Villeneuve’s trilogy. The film stars Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Jason Momoa, Florence Pugh, Rebecca Ferguson, and Isaach De Bankolé, with Charlotte Rampling, Anya Taylor-Joy, Robert Pattinson, and Javier Bardem.
Villeneuve and the cast unveiled the first Dune: Part Three trailer at a launch event on Monday at AMC Century City. Describing the first Dune film as a “contemplation, a boy exploring a new world,” and the second as “a war movie,” Villeneuve said the concluding film in the trilogy “is a thriller. It is action-packed and tense. More muscular.”
Dune: Part Three will be released in IMAX and theaters worldwide by Warner Bros. on Dec. 18.
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