Following his recent Oscar nomination for his performance as the titular singer inElvis,Austin Butlerrecently spoke about his upcoming role inDune: Part Two, which he teases will be unlike anything he has ever been in before in a chat withDeadline. “We had a blast getting to collaborate on this,” Butler said. “It was just so much fun for me, especially playing this role, to get to do something so different from anything I’ve ever done before.”
In addition to his comments, the actor also stated that he was a fan of the first film alongside its director,Denis Villeneuve, who he said to be “an incredible filmmaker, and an amazing person.” While the actor didn’t provide any additional details from the upcoming chapter in theDuneuniverse, he is set to play Feyd-Rautha, the nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård). Despite playing a significant role in the overall story, the character of Feyd was notably absent in the first installment of the two-part duology, with the story focusing more on Paul’s introduction to Arrakis. However, its follow-up is already shaping up to bookend the story in an epic sweep, with Villeneuve promising more ofHouse Harkonnenalongside a focus on “cinematic action.”
With the character of Feyd having a notorious rivalry with Paul,Dune: Part Twocould offer audiences a memorable performance between Butler andTimothée Chalametas they both clash during the film. Alongside Butler, new actors joining the upcoming film includeFlorence Pughas Princess Irulan,Christopher Walkenas Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV,Léa Seydouxas Lady Margot,Souheila Yacoubas Shishakli, andTim Blake Nelsonin an undisclosed role.
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Dune: Part Onedebuted in both theaters and HBO Max in October 2021 to acclaim from both critics and fans, with many praising the film for its sense of scale and faithfulness to the source material. In addition to its positive reception, the film earned 10 Academy Award nominations, winning six. With the movie only serving as an adaptation of the first half ofFrank Herbert’s seminal novel, it didn’t take too long for production on its follow-up to commence. Alongside its highly-anticipated sequel, the franchise will continue to expand with the debut ofDune: The Sisterhood, an upcoming television series from HBO Max that will focus on the origins of the Bene Gesserit order.
Following his role in the eventual release ofDune: Part Two, Butler is also set to star inThe Bikeriders, an upcoming drama film byJeff Nicholsthat focuses on a motorcycle club during the 1960s. He will co-star withJodie Comer,Tom Hardy, andMichael Shannon. With several significant projects down the line, bolstered by an Academy Award nomination, fans of the acclaimed actor have much to look forward to as Butler’s career continues to skyrocket.
Dune: Part Twowill debut exclusively in theaters later this year on November 3. Check out Collider’s interview with Butler on his role in Elvis below.
