Denis Villeneuve has just found his ruler of the known universe for Dune Part Two. Christopher Walken (Severance) has joined the film as the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV, the main antagonist of Dune who will finally be seen in the sequel.
In Dune, Shaddam IV plotted the downfall of House Atreides after Duke Leto was becoming too popular and powerful among the other houses of the Imperium and feared an eventual coup. With House Harkonnen, the Atreides’ longstanding enemies within the Imperium, the Emperor set a trap for Duke Leto, his family and army on the planet Arrakis where Leto, played by Oscar Isaac in the first film, dies and most of his forces are decimated, leaving his son Paul and concubine Jessica to flee in Arrakis’ desert.
Dune: Part Two will pick up where the first film left off as Paul and Jessica, played by Timothee Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson respectively, join Arrakis’ native Fremen population and fight against the Harkonnen’s rule of Arrakis and plan to draw out the Emperor in order to avenge Paul’s father.
Walken’s Shaddam is the father to Princess Irulan who will be played by Florence Pugh (Black Widow). Also joining the film is Austin Butler (Elvis) as Feyd-Rautha, Baron Harkonnen’s cunning and merciless nephew who he is grooming to succeed him as ruler of Arrakis and House Harkonnen.
Dune: Part Two will begin filming this summer in Budapest. Villeneuve is returning to direct from a script he wrote alongside Jon Spaihts.
A mythic and emotionally charged hero’s journey, “Dune” tells the story of Paul Atreides, a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding, who must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence—a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential—only those who can conquer their fear will survive.
Dune is directed by Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049) and sees Timothee Chalamet (Call Me By Your Name) leading the cast alongside Rebecca Ferguson (Mission: Impossible – Fallout), Oscar Isaac (Star Wars: The Last Jedi), Dave Bautista (Avengers: Infinity War), Stellan Skarsgard (Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again), Charlotte Rampling (Red Sparrow), Zendaya (Spider-Man: Far From Home), Javier Bardem (Loving Pablo), Jason Momoa (Aquaman), Josh Brolin (Avengers: Endgame), Stephen McKinley Henderson (Fences), Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Sex Education), and Chang Chen (The Assassin).
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