Dune: Part Two is already scoring rave reviews ahead of its release. Directed by Denis Villeneuve, the film is a sequel to 2021’s Dune and sees Timothée Chalamet leading the ensemble cast, which also includes Austin Butler. In the sequel, Butler plays a psychopathic antagonist who faces off against Chalamet’s Paul Atreides.
Butler, who is an Academy Award nominee, is receiving praise for his role in the film and is also drawing comparisons to Heath Ledger’s legendary performance as the Joker in The Dark Knight. In a recent interview, Butler revealed how he improvised one of the film’s most shocking scenes, further justifying his comparisons to the late Ledger’s most iconic role.
Austin Butler Talks the Shocking Dune: Part Two Scene He Improvised
In Dune: Part Two, actor Austin Butler plays the role of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the planned successor of House Harkonnen, who engages in a war against Paul Atreides. In the film, Stellan Skarsgård plays Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, the uncle of Butler’s Feyd.
The film includes a shocking scene where Butler and Skarsgård’s characters share an intimate kiss. During a conversation with Access Hollywood, Butler spoke about the surprising scene, which expands on the implied sexual attraction between Feyd and the Baron from the books.
Butler admitted that the scene was improvised and praised co-star Stellan Skarsgård for being open to the kissing scene. Butler made the above statement regarding the kissing scene he improvised with Skarsgård. The scene while shocking adds context to Feyd’s relationship with the Baron and contrasts it with the former’s psychopathic and unhinged behavior throughout the film.
Austin Butler Justifies Heath Ledger Comparisons After Dune: Part Two Performance
Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen is defined by his cruel, treacherous, and cunning behavior throughout the film which makes him a formidable opponent for Paul Atreides. Given Butler’s unhinged portrayal of the character, it is easy to compare him to the Joker.
However, when early reviews for Dune: Part Two started to drop in, critics compared Butler’s performance to that of Heath Ledger in Christopher Nolan’s The Dark Knight. Ledger delivered one of the most iconic villain performances in the movie. A part of the charm of Ledger’s performance was that he frequently improvised scenes to fit the raw intensity and insanity of his character.
Director Christopher Nolan himself confirmed in an interview with BBC Radio 1 that Ledger’s performance as the Joker was heavily improvised with the actor devising the Joker’s pitch and voice in the film. Similarly, Butler seems to have followed in Ledger’s footsteps while essaying a character who appears insane and possesses several psychopathic attributes to his personality.
The shocking kissing scene between Butler and Skarsgård in the film is proof of the same. Butler’s improvisation skill makes for a strong justification for his comparisons with Ledger’s iconic performance. However, whether Butler’s performance transcends pop culture and receives the same level of reverence remains to be seen.
Dune: Part Two is set to release in the United States on March 1, 2024, while The Dark Knight is streaming on Max.
