Elvis actor Austin Butler has revealed that his star will continue to rise rapidly, confirming his role as the villainous Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in the upcoming sci-fi sequel, Dune: Part Two. Speaking with The New York Times recently, Butler confirmed that, not only has he won the coveted role in director Denis Villeneuve’s epic follow-up, he has already started “intensive knife-fighting training.” something which is sure to come in handy when facing off with Timothée Chalamet’s chosen one, Paul Atreides.
The whispers that Austin Butler was being tapped for the role of Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two first emerged in March this year, with the actor seemingly beating out Eternals and The Batman star Barry Keoghan who had been hotly rumored to be in contention for the part in the sequel. Fans of Dune are eager to see Feyd-Rautha make his debut, with the younger nephew and heir of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen well-renowned for being a formidable warrior who is expected to be an integral presence in the continuing journey of Paul Atreides.
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem, Dune: Part One hurls audiences into the far future of humanity, as Duke Leto Atreides accepts stewardship of the dangerous desert planet Arrakis, the only source of the most valuable substance in the universe, "melange" AKA "spice"). Though Leto knows the opportunity is an intricate trap set by his enemies, he takes his concubine Lady Jessica and young son and heir Paul to Arrakis. Not long after their arrival, a bitter betrayal leads Paul and Jessica to the Fremen, natives of Arrakis who live in the deep desert.
Dune: Part Two is Expected to Be Even Bigger & Even Better
The first part of Dune was hugely well-received by both critics and audiences alike, with the movie going on to receive 10 nominations at the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Dune: Part One ultimately won the most awards of the ceremony with six, including Best Original Score, Best Visual Effects, and Best Cinematography, with the sequel expected to be even bigger and better than its predecessor.
"I've been trained by the house of the mouse at Lucasfilm not to give you any scoops. But I can tell you that this is a bigger story,” cinematographer Greig Fraser revealed recently. “I've read the script, and I'm more blown away by this script than I was by Part One. I'm more excited. I was sitting in a meeting with Denis and [production designer] Patrice [Vermette] and Paul [Lambert] the other day at Denis' house talking about this film, and I turned to Denis and said, I can't believe these people pay us to do this. This is ridiculous. They pay us to make these movies which are so exciting and so amazing. I can tell you it's bigger and better."
Dune: Part Two is set to be released on October 20, 2023, and will cover the remaining story from the first novel. As for Austin Butler, he can next be seen in a similarly coveted role, playing the King of Rock & Roll Elvis Presley in director Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.