Denis Villeneuve’s highly-anticipated Dune hit screens last month to rave reviews. Packed with cinematic shots of desert planet Arrakis, gigantic sandworms, and a stunning performance by Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, the film is an instant sci-fi masterpiece – so much so that part two is already in the works.
The film did, however, miss out one particular character: the antagonist Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen (AKA Sting in David Lynch’s 1984 film adaptation). The nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonne, Feyd-Rautha plays a crucial role in Frank Herbert’s original book as Paul Atreides’ rival.
In a recent interview with Empire, Villeneuve explained his reasons for omitting the character from the first instalment, saying: “There were enough characters that were introduced in this first part, and it will be more elegant to keep Feyd for Part Two.”
The director assures us that Feyd “will definitely (play) a very, very important character in the second part.” As for who will actually portray the character, that’s yet to be announced.
Chalamet has previously hinted at the “huge role” Zendaya’s character is likely to play in the second instalment. Cast members including Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, and Javier Bardem are also expected to reprise their roles from the first film.
But that’s not all: according to Villeneuve, he “always saw” that the sci-fi epic could work as a three-part series of films, with the third based on Herbert’s Dune Messiah. But presumably we’ll hear more after Dune: Part Two hits cinema screens in 2023.