There's a lot of hype for Dune: Part Two at the moment following the huge success of the first film last year and receiving a number of 10 nominations at the upcoming 94th Academy Awards including Best Picture. Given that the sequel will cover the second half of the novel, it is expected to feature new characters that haven't been introduced yet. Following the casting of Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan a few days ago, we finally know the next new cast member who will be joining Paul Atreides' next journey.
Deadline has reported that Austin Butler, who is set to play Elvis Presley in the upcoming biopic Elvis, is in negotiations to join Dune Part: Two. He will play Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the younger nephew and heir of Baron Harkonnen who is as cruel and menacing as his uncle. He will also serve as one of the main antagonists in the sequel. Production for the film is set to commence later this year.
Butler will be joining returning cast members such as Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgard, and Dave Bautista. Pugh is also currently in negotiations to join the cast. Denis Villeneuve will also return to direct and co-write as well as composer Hans Zimmer.
Prior to this casting news, there were several actors who have expressed their interest to possibly play Feyd-Rautha, with Barry Keoghan becoming the fan-favorite to take the role. According to The New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan, Harry Styles (Eternals) and Tye Sheridan (X-Men) were some of the actors who were also considered to potentially play the role.
Thanks to his breakthrough in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood and his upcoming role of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's biopic Elvis, Butler is now becoming one of the most sought young actors in Hollywood. He is also set to star in the Apple TV+ World War II limited series Masters of the Air. It also looks like Warner Bros. was impressed with his performance as the King of Rock that they want him to be part of one of their high-profile projects.
Feyd-Rautha is definitely going to have a big role in the upcoming sequel as he will be the villain in which, in case you're not familiar with what happened in the novel, Paul Atreides will face him off during the climactic battle. Sting famously portrayed him in the 1984 film version of Dune. Following Elvis Presley, this role will definitely bring Butler to the spotlight even further and it's exciting to see his take on the character. It would also be interesting to see who they'll cast on one remaining key character: Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV.
Also Read: Dune Star Javier Bardem Shares Hilarious Request for His Character on the Sequel
Dune: Part Two is currently scheduled to be released in theaters on October 20, 2023.
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