It seems that pre-filming on the upcoming sci-epic, Dune: Part Two, has begun even earlier than expected, and we now have our first glimpse of new addition Florence Pugh, who joins the sequel as Princess Irulan. The image has been unveiled courtesy of Twitter user Florence Pugh Daily (catch it quickly before it gets taken down) and shows Pugh in costume during pre-production at the Brion Tomb near Altivole, Italy.
Adding Don’t Worry Darling and Black Widow star Florence Pugh to Dune: Part Two has been floating around for some time. And, in this case, those rumors turned out to be very true, with the hugely talented actress joining the likes of Timothée Chalamet and Zendaya in the highly anticipated follow-up to director Denis Villeneuve’s 2021 adaptation of the seminal novel by Frank Herbert.
Pugh will join the already stacked ensemble cast as Princess Irulan, the eldest daughter of the duplicitous 81st Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV and Anirul, a Bene Gesserit of Hidden Rank. Which is a sentence you will only understand if you are familiar with the world of Dune. To simplify, Princess Irulan is important and powerful, and features throughout many of the Dune novels. While the character does not play a major role in the first Dune novel, with Pugh on board, it is likely that Princess Irulan’s part will have been expanded for the adaptation.
The presence of Pugh is just one of several exciting casting additions to Dune: Part Two. Hollywood icon Christopher Walken will join the sci-fi sequel as Emperor Shaddam IV, Princess Irulan’s father, with Elvis actor Austin Butler joining the sci-fi epic as Feyd-Rautha, the younger nephew and heir of the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen and well-renowned warrior. No Time to Die star Léa Seydoux is the latest A-list name to be announced, with the actress due to star as Lady Margot, one of the Bene Gesserit who possesses superhuman abilities due to the use of the drug melange.
Dune: Part Two is Due to Hit Theaters in 2023
Dune: Part One introduces audiences to 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.
With the first movie covering roughly the first half of the novel, Dune: Part Two will therefore tackle the rest. Thus, Dune: Part Two is expected to focus on Paul as he assembles a massive army of Fremen to combat the ruthless Harkonnen, as he essentially becomes a mythical messiah figure to the inhabitants of Arrakis.
Starring Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Stephen McKinley Henderson, Zendaya, David Dastmalchian, Chang Chen, Sharon Duncan-Brewster, Charlotte Rampling, and Jason Momoa, Dune: Part Two is set to be released in theaters on November 17, 2023.