The amazing cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune is getting even better for the upcoming conclusion to the story, Dune: Part Two.
To the ranks of returning cast members Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, and Dave Bautista, we can now apparently add Christopher Walken, who will be playing — who else? — the Emperor of the Known Universe.
That’s according to Deadline, who says Walken is among the new additions to Dune in the sequel, alongside Florence Pugh, who plays the Emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler (AKA Elvis in Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming biopic), who plays the villainous Feyd-Rautha.
In David Lynch’s film, the role of the Emperor was played by Jose Ferrer. Irulan was Virginia Madsen, and Sting (yes, that Sting) was Feyd-Rautha in one of the most infamous metallic bathing suits in cinema history.
All three of these characters appeared in Lynch’s Dune but were absent from Villeneuve due to his choice to break Frank Herbert’s original novel in half and only turn the first part into his movie. After the first half of Dune did well in theaters, on HBO Max, and with critics, Warner Bros. gave Villeneuve the go-ahead to make the back half of the novel, which required the addition of these new characters.
Walken, in particular, is such an exciting choice for the part. Dune is so bonkers, who else could feasibly play the leader of such a bananas existence than Christopher Walken? Truly, it is impossible to imagine a better fit for that role.
Dune: Part Two is scheduled to open in theaters on October 20, 2023. Dune!!!!
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