Imagine finding the scorching desert heat… relaxing? That's exactly what Robert Pattinson experienced while filming Dune: Messiah. Let's dive into this unexpected take on the harsh realities of shooting in extreme conditions.
In a recent interview with IndieWire alongside his Die My Love co-star Jennifer Lawrence, Pattinson shared his unique perspective on working in the desert for Denis Villeneuve's upcoming Dune: Messiah. He revealed that the intense heat actually had a surprising effect on him.
“When I was doing Dune it was so hot in the desert that I just couldn’t question anything,” he recalled. “And it was so relaxing, like my brain actually wasn’t operating, I did not have a single functioning brain cell. And I was just listening to Denis [Villeneuve]: ‘Whatever you want!’
But here's where it gets controversial... While the specific details of Pattinson's character in the third installment of the sci-fi franchise remain a mystery, sources previously hinted that the Twilight alum would likely be portraying the chief villain. Could his relaxed state be the key to embodying a truly menacing character?
Pattinson isn't the only Dune star to open up about the challenges of filming in the desert. Zendaya, who plays Chani, shared her experience of battling heatstroke while filming Dune: Part Two in Jordan.
“It was very hot, and I remember thinking, ‘Oh, man, the bathrooms are so far away,’ because we had to hike to the locations,” she recalled. “If you have to pee, you need at least 10 minutes to get out of the costumes. I was like, Damn, I don’t want to drink too much water. I had such a fear of peeing myself or shitting myself, honestly, in the suit on set.”
Zendaya continued, “One day, I didn’t drink enough and I had a heatstroke. I felt so barfy. I remember calling my mom on the bathroom floor, saying, ‘I feel terrible.’ She was like, ‘Did you drink water today?’ I said no. I thought I was being smart, but you can’t do that. So, lesson learned.”
Austin Butler, who portrayed the villain Feyd-Rautha in the second installment, also vividly described the uncomfortable environment.
“It was 110 degrees and so hot,” he explained to Entertainment Weekly. “I had the bald cap on, and it was between two soundstages that were just these gray boxes of 200-foot walls and sand.It became like a microwave.There were people passing out from heatstroke. And that was just my first week.”
And this is the part most people miss... The stark contrast between Pattinson's experience and the struggles of his co-stars raises an interesting question: does the ability to embrace discomfort, or even find a strange form of relaxation in it, give an actor an edge?
Dune: Messiah is scheduled to hit theaters on December 18, 2026. The returning cast includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Jason Momoa, Josh Brolin, Rebecca Ferguson, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
What do you think? Do you find Pattinson's perspective surprising? Share your thoughts in the comments below! Could this unusual approach to the heat have actually helped him get into character?
