Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures are eyeing Elvis star Austin Butler for a major role in Dune: Part Two.
As reported by Deadline, Butler is currently in talks to join the cast of Denis Villeneuve's sequel to the 2021 sci-fi epic as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the villainous nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. He would join returning cast members Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin.
Feyd is the heir apparent to House Harkonnen and a major antagonist in Frank Herbert's original Dune novel, though he did not appear in the 2021 film adaptation. In November 2021, Villeneuve confirmed that Feyd-Rautha would "be definitely a very, very important character" in the upcoming sequel and explained why he decided to leave the character out of Part One entirely. "There was enough characters that were introduced in this first part, and it will be more elegant to keep Feyd for Part Two," he said.
Butler would be the third actor to portray Feyd-Rautha in live-action, with the character previously portrayed by rock musician Sting (real name Gordon M. Summer) in David Lynch's 1984 film adaptation, followed by Matt Keeslar in the 2000 television miniseries, Frank Herbert's Dune. News of Butler's possible casting follows reports that Black Widow and Hawkeye star Florence Pugh is in early negotiations for the role of Princess Irulan, the daughter of Emperor Shaddam IV.
Produced by Legendary Pictures and distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, Dune: Part One was the second big-screen adaptation of the classic 1965 sci-fi novel of the same name, after Dune in 1984. Villeneuve previously stated that he was ready to start shooting a Dune sequel as early as 2022, and recently confirmed that Part Two could start filming as soon as this summer.
"We are supposed to shoot by the end of the summer," Villeneuve said in a recent interview. "I will say it is mostly designed. The thing that helps us right now is that it's the first time I've revisited a universe. So I'm working with the same crew, everybody knows what to do, we know what it will look like. The movie will be more challenging, but we know where we are stepping. And the screenplay is written. So I feel confident. Frankly, the only big unknown for me right now is the pandemic."
On top of the sequel, Dune already has a prequel series titled Dune: Sisterhood planned for release on HBO Max, which will follow the Bene Gesserit, an all-female organization that serves as a key social, religious and political force in the Dune mythology.
Dune: Part Two is currently slated to premiere exclusively in movie theaters on Oct. 20, 2023.
Source: Deadline