In an exclusive first look with Vanity Fair, Dune: Part Two received several interviews, as well as the first images of Florence Pugh and Austin Butler as the villain of the movie.
With fans across the globe getting excited for the conclusion to the epic-novel-turned-film, Dune: Part Two received a special first look via Vanity Fair, where interviews with director Denis Villeneuve, Zendaya, and Timothée Chalamet revealed several secrets for the upcoming movie, while we also got a sneak peek of the characters played by Florence Pugh, Léa Seydoux, and Austin Butler’s villainous Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.
Set to kick off right at the conclusion of the first film, Dune: Part Two won’t have a time jump forward as it’s a continuation of the first film. “It’s important—it’s not a sequel, it’s a second part. There’s a difference,” director Denis Villeneuve stated. “I wanted the movie to really open just where we left the characters. There’s no time jump. I wanted dramatic continuity with part one.”
Florence Pugh has joined the cast this time around as Princess Irulan, the daughter of Emperor Shaddam IV (Christopher Walken), “Her stake could not be higher because she’s afraid that her father could lose the throne, could lose everything,” Villeneuve says. “When I met Florence, I was struck by her assurance, how grounded she is as a young woman, how direct, how unapologetic. She has something inherently royal about her. I will definitely believe that Florence could become, in the future, a prime minister.”
Additionally, the villain for this film comes in the form of Austin Butler, who plays the role formerly held by the singer Sting in the 1984 film, as Feyd-Rautha—the monstrous Harkonnen prince. “Austin Butler brought to the screen something that would be a cross between a psychotic, sociopath serial killer and Mick Jagger,” described Villeneuve.
Dune was originally written in 1965 by Frank Herbert as an epic science-fiction novel—winning the Nebula Award for Best Novel and tying for the Hugo Award. It has often been described as the “world’s best-selling science fiction novel.” Following its success, a 1984 film by David Lynch was made, along with a television mini-series in 2000 by John Harrison. Dune: Part One was released in 2021 with an all-star cast and received 10 nominations with 6 wins at the 94th Academy Awards.
Dune: Part Two, which Warner Bros. and Legendary produce, is set to be released on November 3rd, 2023.
