Dune Part 2 is on the way, with fans everywhere eager to see the second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi epic. And according to Variety, a new character is set to join the line-up.
The site reports that Austin Butler is in talks to join the Dune universe as the villainous Feyd-Rautha, the sadistic nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and the heir to the Harkonnen empire.
Feyd-Rautha is a major part of the Dune's sequel, and Variety revealed that "a source close to the project told [them] that Butler is in “the very early stages” of joining the film". So while nothing's set in stone yet, it's looking likely he'll be part of the next ensemble cast.
Austin Butler is known for his role as James "Wilke" Wilkerson in the television series Switched at Birth and recently appeared in Quentin Tarantino's latest film Once Upon a Time in Hollywood as Tex Watson.
He's set to play rock 'n' roll legend Elvis Presley in a new biopic titled Elvis, which is directed by The Great Gatsby's Baz Luhrmann and is currently in post-production.
Austin isn't the only rumoured actor to be joining the Dune: Part 2 line-up, as reportedly Florence Pugh is in final negotiations to star as Princess Irulan in the sequel.
Speaking to Empire about the new roles, director Denis Villeneuve teased: "Some new characters will be introduced in the second part and a decision I made very early on was that this first part would be more about Paul Atreides and the Bene Gesserit, and his experience of being in contact for the first time with a different culture. Second part, there will be much more Harkonnen stuff."
The day is here. #DuneMovie is now available to own on Blu-ray and Digital: https://t.co/bkeU14r9mx pic.twitter.com/fK2j2fLLIEJanuary 11, 2022
The first Dune film is among those hoping to win at the 2022 Oscars and BAFTA Film Awards 2022, having received nominations such as Best Picture and Best Special Effects. But while the first film was critically acclaimed and might pick up some awards this season, we'll have to wait a while for the second one.
Dune: Part 2 is set to release in 2023, meaning it's too early to give exact plot details or casting, but we should start to get confirmed news coming in over the coming months.
Dune is currently available on DVD, Blu-Ray and on HBO Max.
