Dune 3 will be a family affair, and not just because of its continued exploration of the Atreides clan. In June, it was reported that Jason Momoa’s son, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa, will join his father in the 2026 movie adapting Frank Herbert’s 1969 novel Dune Messiah. As it turns out though, Momoa didn’t want Nakoa-Wolf to follow in his acting footsteps, but there’s a simple reason why he ended up in the threequel anyway.
Momoa, who’s reprising House Atreides swordsmaster Duncan Idaho, briefly discussed the officially-titled Dune: Part Three with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of his new Apple TV+ subscription-exclusive series Chief of War, which begins streaming on the 2025 TV schedule August 1. When the interviewer brought up his son’s involvement in the next Dune movie, the former Aquaman actor said:
This, this, this kid. What the hell? I’m like, ‘No, no, you can’t act. No, you’re not going to be in this industry. No, no, no.’ And then, he literally did it on his own.
He’s certainly not the first actor who’s not wanted their child to be an actor too, but sometimes the pull to perform is too strong. This will indeed be Nakoa-Wolf Momoa’s acting debut, as he’s playing Leto II, the son of Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides and Zendaya’s Chani. We’ll also meet his twin sister Ghanima, played by Silo’s Ida Brooke. Jason Momoa saying Nakoa-Wolf “did it on his own” seemingly indicates he auditioned without informing his father. That in turn makes me wonder if he used a fake name and auditioned normally with all the other actors looking to play Leto II, or if he just spoke with the right people behind the elder Momoa’s back.
However it happened, Nakoa-Wolf Momoa will start acting in one of next year’s biggest tentpole pictures, and Jason Momoa believes this is just the start of a bright future ahead for his son. As he put it:
Listen, he’s going to be way better than I have ever been. That’s what you want for your children. He will be. He’ll be a force.
Nakoa-Wolf and Ida Brooke are the only two new actors who’ve been announced for Dune: Part Three so far, but along with Jason Momoa, Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya, it’s also confirmed that Florence Pugh will reprise Princess Irulan. It was also reported in April that Robert Pattinson is being eyed for the role of Scytale, though it’s unclear if that casting has gone through. As with the first two Dune movies, Denis Villeneuve will direct and co-wrote the script with Jon Spaihts, although this will be the filmmaker’s last time working on the franchise.
Dune 3 opens in theaters on December 18, 2026. That’s when we’ll get our first taste of Nakoa-Wolf Momoa’s acting abilities, and if he impresses, then it’s a good bet Jason Momoa’s prediction will come true and we’ll see him in many more things.