Months after Dune: Part Two officially wrapped principal photography in Abu Dhabi, we’ve now been treated to a first look at the hotly anticipated follow-up to Denis Villeneuve’s Academy Award-winning sci-fi magnum opus starring Timothée Chalamet.
Previewing both old threats and new, the talk of the town right now is Elvis lead Austin Butler, who takes on the all-important role of Paul Atreides’ main rival, Baron Harkonnen’s nephew, and planned successor on Arrakis: Feyd-Rautha.
“He’s someone Machiavellian, much more cruel, much more strategic, and is more narcissistic,” Denis Villeneuve explained of the character played by none other than Sting in David Lynch’s famously divisive attempt at bringing the Frank Herbert mythology to screens circa 1984.
“[His brother] Rabban finds himself, at the end of part one, in the position where he doesn’t have the brain to be able to manage and control all these operations. Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is a very clever, very charismatic figure, and much more brilliant.”
Describing Butler’s performance, the director had this to say: “Austin Butler brought to the screen something that would be a cross between a psychotic, sociopath serial killer and Mick Jagger.”
Funnily enough, the Rolling Stones frontman was precisely who Alejandro Jodorowsky had in mind for Feyd-Rautha. But of course, the Chilean-French auteur’s own attempt at producing a Dune film was even more doomed than Lynch’s (read: “dead on arrival”).
RELATED: At Long Last, ‘Dune – Part Two’ Has An Epic Full-Length Trailer
In addition to Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Austin Butler as Reyd-Rautha, Dune: Part Two re-welcomes Rebecca Ferguson as Paul’s mother and Bene Gesserit Lady Jessica; Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck – House Atreides’ weapons master and mentor to Paul; Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen – the man formerly charged with supervising planet Arrakis and sworn enemy of Leto; Dave Bautista as Glossu Rabban – Baron Harkonnen’s nephew, the physical type of adversary; Zendaya as Chani – Paul’s mysterious native Arrakis love interest; Javier Bardem as Stilgar – leader of the native Arakis tribe.
Since the much-hyped sequel’s initial announcement, a handful of heavy-hitting names have been added to the cast, most notably Christopher Walken, who portrays the villainous Emperor Shaddam IV (and is noticeably/strategically absent from this batch of first-look images); Hollywood it-girl Florence Pugh as Emperor Shaddam IV’s daughter Princess Irulan; plus Bond alum Lea Seydoux as Lady Margot, a Bene Gesserit and close friend of the Emperor.
Similar to Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune, Part Two has been collaboratively adapted by Villeneuve himself, Jon Spaihts (Prometheus, Doctor Strange, Passengers), and Eric Roth (Forrest Gump, The Insider, A Star Is Born); while the cinematography has once again been accomplished by Aussie talent Greig Fraser – who you will have probably encountered in Zero Dark Thirty, Rogue One: A Star Wars Story, and Matt Reeves’ The Batman. Hans Zimmer also returned to compose the rousing and atmospheric score for this one.
At the time of this writing, Dune: Part Two has locked in a November 3rd of 2023 release date – check out the first-look images courtesy of Vanity Fair below.
