Dune: Part Two — The ReDu (speculative title) continues to suck prestigious actors into its force field like some kind of science-fiction planet. Deadline reports that Léa Seydoux, who was most recently seen doing future crimes, has been cast as Lady Margot, a member of the Sisterhood.
In other 2une casting news, Christopher Walken already rocks the Futurama Mom look, so the actor is perfectly fit to play the most powerful ruler in the galaxy. Variety reports that Walken has been cast as Shaddam IV of House Corrino, Emperor of the Known Universe. While the character did not appear in Denis Villeneuve’s first Dune film, he was the catalyst that set off all of its ensuing action and carnage by handing over control of Arrakis to House Atreides. What this really means is that he will be playing Florence Pugh’s dad, so that’s something for Film Twitter to talk about until October 2023.
Feyd-Rautha will appear in the film, and Deadline reports that Austin Butler is in negotiations to play him. The thing about Sting’s performance as spiky-headed Harkonnen baddie Feyd-Rautha in 1984’s Dune is it’s kind of impossible to follow Sting’s performance as Feyd-Rautha in 1984’s Dune. It’s just so weirdly sexy (okay, Bowie’s Goblin King in Labyrinth was able to follow it, but that’s it). I assumed that the character wasn’t in Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, because Sting was busy and he’s 70. It turns out the next rival whom Timothée Chalamet has to face will be played by an Elvis impersonator, which is technically Butler’s job description now.
But here’s where things get spice-y. New York Times reporter Kyle Buchanan tweeted a link to the Deadline article and added that “they also looked at Harry Styles and Tye Sheridan for this role…” That ellipsis has us going hmm … in a big way. Did Villeneuve see Styles’s performance in Eternals and go, “Scrap it”? Did he watch The Card Counter and say, “That’s quite enough family vengeance from Tye Sheridan, thanks”?
Elsewhere in the Duneiverse, Florence Pugh is in negotiations to play Princess Irulan Corrino, eldest daughter of the Emperor and possible romantic rival to Zendaya. (They may contractually have to change the spelling of the movie to Dughne: Part Twugh.)
This post has been updated.
