Denis Villeneuve continues his desert adventure in Dune's desert planet Arrakis. Dune: Part Two looks to expand on the scope of the first entry with further nuance and coinciding introductions to new characters.
While a two-part story has always been Villeneuve's vision for adapting Herbert's first Dune novel, a sequel wasn't confirmed until a few days into the first film's opening week at the box office. Despite the ongoing pandemic and direct-to-streaming debut at the time of its release, the movie's opening weekend run of over $40 million at North American box offices cemented it as a hit with audiences. Throughout Dune's press tour, cast encouraged audiences to the film, as their characters' story arcs would feel unfinished if a sequel wasn't approved. Denis Villeneuve's track record with sci-fi movies has proven he's adept at directing sprawling, yet intricate projects with star-studded casts. Much of the first film's ensemble is returning for Dune: Part Two, along with casting director Francine Maisler. With much of the world-building from Herbert's novel already established and a host of fresh faces attached for the second installment, Villeneuve has all the pieces in place to helm a landmark sci-fi sequel. Here's every new actor and their confirmed characters for Dune: Part Two.
Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan Corrino)
Florence Pugh was one of the first notable actors reportedly tipped for a ing role in Dune: Part Two. Rumors began swirling as early as March 2022 regarding Pugh's potential involvement. Pugh is now confirmed to play Princess Irulan Corrino, the eldest daughter of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV (more on him later). In Herbert's novel, Irulan is a historian that chronicles the origin of Dune's Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). Her scholarly exploits are presented as epigraphs prior to each chapter in the novel, and they provide significant context and depth to the Imperium's events. Near the conclusion of the novel, Paul Atreides proposes marriage to Princess Irulan, a move that would establish him as Emperor of the Imperium.
Pugh is an apt choice as Princess Irulan for a multitude of reasons. She has experience playing figures of nobility with her previous roles in Lady Macbeth and Outlaw King. Not to mention that her outstanding performance alongside Timothée Chalamet in Little Women earned her an Oscar nomination for best ing actress. Florence Pugh's chemistry with Timothée Chalamet is evident, as the two possess a magnetic allure that could be rekindled in Dune: Part Two. Unless Villeneuve has a major change from the novel in mind for Princess Irulan, don't expect this intimacy to persist between Pugh and Chalamet's characters. Irulan marries Paul Atreides in the book, but this is a political union rather than a romantic one, with Paul's true desires reserved for Zendaya's character Chani.
Christopher Walken (Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV)
Christopher Walken plays Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV in Dune: Part Two. The father of Princess Irulan, Shaddam Corrino IV is the last in the line of Corrino Padishah Emperors, a title that is ed on to the Atreides Empire. In the novel, Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV serves as ruler of the Known Universe and makes the decision to grant House Atreides the desert world of Arrakis. House Atreides leaves their home planet Caladan at the request of the Emperor, ignorant of his plot for their demise. The Emperor schemes with House Harkonnen to cripple, sabotage, and lay siege to the newly occupied city of Arrakeen following the transition in an effort to mitigate the ascendancy of Duke Leto and House Atreides.
Although he does not make an appearance in the first film, the Emperor sets the events in motion that would come to define the state of the Imperium for years to come. His sinister ploy to cripple House Atreides places the Emperor in a precarious position, as Paul sets out for revenge by usurping his title and wedding his daughter, a plan which Paul suggests in the first Dune movie. Considering the Emperor's prestigious status and cunning nature, Walken makes a fitting choice for Dune: Part Two given his long-tenured pedigree of villainous roles.
Léa Seydoux (Lady Margot Fenring)
One of the more surprising casting choices in Dune: Part Two is Léa Seydoux as Lady Margot Fenring. Seydoux's catalog is extensive, as she has experience in both the Bond and Mission: Impossible franchises, as well as memorable roles in Inglorious Basterds and Midnight in Paris. The element of intrigue isn't the fact that she was cast in Dune: Part Two, but rather the nature of her character's role in the Dune novel. Lady Margot Fenring is a remarkably minor character in Herbert's first Dune novel, as her husband Count Hasimir Fenring plays a more prevalent role. With Count Fenring's casting choice yet to be announced, Villeneuve and casting director Francine Maisler could incorporate another character change in Dune: Part Two.
Although Villeneuve's adaptation of the source material is relatively faithful, he elects to make several changes in his iteration of Dune. Perhaps most notable among these alterations is the character Liet Kynes. In the novel, Kynes is male and the father of Chani. Whereas in 2021's Dune, Kynes is female and played by Sharon Duncan-Brewster. Given Villeneuve's publicly stated intention to "bring more femininity to the story" of Dune, it's possible that Léa Seydoux's character Lady Margot Fenring could be merged with Count Hasimir Fenring in Dune: Part Two. If not, Seydoux's casting is still notable, as it likely signals a more prolific part for a female character that was largely on the periphery of Herbert's original work.
Austin Butler (Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen)
Austin Butler is confirmed to play Dune: Part Two. Following a minor role in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, Butler shone as the King of Rock and Roll in Elvis. Butler is being thrust into the spotlight once again in Dune: Part Two, as his character Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is appointed as the ruler of Arrakis. Feyd-Rautha is the nephew of Stellan Skarsgård's character Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. With Villeneuve stating that the Harkonnens will play a far more prominent role in Dune: Part Two, it's realistic to expect Butler's Feyd-Rautha to be a key character.
Feyd-Rautha shares a connection with Princess Irulan in the first novel. The Princess is a member of the Bene Gesserit, a sect of all female geneticists that steer the events of the Imperium from the shadows. Princess Irulan looks to seduce the Harkonnen heir as part of a Bene Gesserit plot to conceive the mystical Kwisatz Haderach. This sets up a key Harkonnen story in Dune: Part Two, a rivalry between Feyd-Rautha and Paul that ends fatally.
Souheila Yacoub (Shishakli)
The latest addition to the cast for Dune: Part Two is Souheila Yacoub, playing Shishakli. Yacoub's character is a member of the Fremen, a group that resides on the planet Arrakis. The Fremen have a more distinguished role in the second half of the novel, as Paul and his mother Jessica escape the clutches of the Harkonnens and flee for the dunes of Arrakis where they encounter the Fremen. Paul is indoctrinated into the ways of the Fremen and fulfills their belief in the prophecy of an off-world messiah. Yacoub's character Shishakli plays a critical role in Paul's familiarity with the ways of the desert.
One of the most integral aspects of Herbert's first Dune novel is the profound relationship the Fremen share with the planet Arrakis. They are deeply connected to the ecology of the planet, including Dune's iconic sandworms. The Harkonnens view the sandworms as a nuisance, diverting their narrow-minded focus solely on the financial gain that the sandworms provide through their production of the coveted spice. Conversely, the Fremen hold a deep reverence for the sandworms, referring to them as "makers," as they recognize the sandworms' pivotal function in cultivating life on Arrakis. The Fremen also possess a unique tactical advantage through their relationship with the sandworms, the ability to mount and ride the creatures. Paul endures a trial to ride a worm and is aided by Yacoub's character Shishakli. She guides Paul through his trial and provides him with the Fremen-patented "maker hooks," devices used to mantle and steer the worms.
The final scene from 2021's Dune highlights the Fremen's desert power, a prevailing theme from the novel. Villeneuve deftly establishes the bulk of Herbert's extensive lore in his first film, leaving the second entry poised to explore the more intricate and introspective aspects of the visionary novel. With a celebrated ensemble returning, as well as the addition of several new cast in Dune: Part Two, Villeneuve has the chance to provide an immensely satisfying conclusion to the iconic source material that has proved so notoriously difficult to adapt.
