Acclaimed actor Austin Butler has been enjoying a year of high praise resulting from his starring role in Baz Luhrmann's Elvis. It's a performance that garnered him a win for Best Actor at the Golden Globe Awards, and he's also up for the honor at the Academy Awards in March. As Butler has been in the spotlight a lot lately to speak about the film, some fans have observed that he sounds a lot like Elvis Presley even long after filming on the biopic. Perhaps that's a byproduct of getting completely lost in the role during production.
"I don't think I sound like him still, but I guess I must because I hear it a lot," Butler told Variety on the Golden Globes red carpet. "You know I often liken it to when somebody lives in another country for a long time... I had three years worth that was my only focus in life, so I'm sure that there is pieces of my DNA that will always be linked in that way."
In any case, filmgoers should not expect to see his character sounding anything at all like the "Jailhouse Rock" singer in Dune: Part Two. In the upcoming sequel from director Denis Villeneuve, Butler plays a much more dastardly character with his role as Feyd-Rautha, the antagonist played by Sting in the original 1984 film. He is the nephew of Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) and brother to Dave Bautista's Glossu Rabban. After working with Butler on the film, Bautista teases (via USA Today) that Butler's performance in the role is nothing short of "terrifying" and nothing at all like Elvis or how the actor is in real life.
“He’s just the sweetest guy you’ll ever meet,” Bautista noted. “I don’t know who this guy was, but it’s not Austin Butler. It’s not Elvis. His voice is different, his look is different. Everything about his demeanor is terrifying.”
Dune: Part Two Hits Theaters This Year
Bautista also says his own character is "just a nightmare" in Dune: Part Two, with the sequel giving him much more screen time than he had in the first movie. Butler and Bautista are just two part of a strong ensemble cast that's filled with big stars. The film also features names like Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgard, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, Florence Pugh, Lea Seydoux, and Christopher Walken.
Denis Villeneuve is back in the director's chair for the sequel. He also co-wrote the screenplay with Jon Spaihts and Eric Roth. The cast and crew wrapped filming on the movie in December.
Dune: Part Two will be premiering in movie theaters on Nov. 3, 2023.