Yahoo News Dune: Part Two teases Austin Butler's villain: 'Olympic sword master mixed with a psychotic serial killer'
Austin Butler is coming to Arrakis, and he's bringing danger with him.
Half a year away from the theatrical release of Dune: Part Two, director Denis Villeneuve appeared alongside stars Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya at the Warner Bros. CinemaCon panel in Las Vegas on Tuesday to tease the sci-fi sequel.
While familiar faces like Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem are returning from 2021's Dune, the second installment will introduce major new characters from Frank Herbert's iconic 1965 novel — including Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan and Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Both appeared in footage that was shown in the room to CinemaCon attendees but has not been released to the public yet.
The two members of House Harkonnen seen in the first Dune (Stellan Skarsgård's Baron and Dave Bautista's Rabban) were notably hairless and pale, and it looks like Butler's Feyd-Rautha may follow suit. Don't underestimate him, though.
"It was a privilege for me to bring Austin on board to ask him to play some kind of Olympic sword master, mixed with a psychotic serial killer," Villeneuve said. "And I'm very proud of what he brought to the movie."
Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images; Warner Bros. Pictures Austin Butler; Timothée Chalamet in 'Dune'
The CinemaCon footage also teased Chalamet's Paul Atreides riding a sandworm for the first time — an important rite of passage for the desert-dwelling Fremen, whom Paul and Ferguson's Lady Jessica joined up with at the end of the first film. If they can convince the Fremen to fight with them, the Atreides survivors will have a chance at getting revenge on the Harkonnens, but they'll have to prove themselves first.
The Fremen are thus set to play a much bigger role in Dune: Part Two. Viewers who were disappointed that Zendaya only appeared on screen for a few scattered minutes as the Fremen warrior Chani in the first film will be pleased to know she has much more time in this one.
Warner Bros. Pictures Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) glimpses a possible future for himself and Chani (Zendaya) in 'Dune'
"She's not just in dreams this time," Zendaya said on stage at CinemaCon. "It was such an incredible experience being on set with these two and exploring this character. I only got a small time to learn who she was [in the first film], and now I feel like she's a part of myself. Developing this love story where there's so much pain and stress and turmoil, and trying to find the balance of these two young people trying to grow up while there's so much pressure on top of that, being a warrior for your people… it was really, really special."
Dune: Part Two is set to hit theaters on Nov. 3.
Additional reporting by Lauren Huff in Las Vegas.
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