Austin Butler shined in Denis Villeneuve’s sci-fi adventure Dune: Part Two with his spectacular performance opposite Timothée Chalamet and Rebecca Ferguson. However, his immaculate performance was not born out of thin air. The actor had undergone a horrendous training process for the movie.
Michael Mann recently confirmed the sequel (also a prequel in parts, per Deadline) to his 1995 classic Heat starring Al Pacino and Robert De Niro and Butler is in the mix to be featured in the upcoming movie. While Adam Driver could be Mann’s preferred cast in the movie, no one has been confirmed as of writing the piece.
Austin Butler Resembeled John Wick In A Training Video
Austin Butler is heavily rumored to play Val Kilmer’s character Chris Shiherlis in Michael Mann’s Heat 2. Adding fuel to the wild speculation, the actor was seen doing intense gun training with Taran Tactical—who have trained celebrities, including Keanu Reeves, Michelle Rodriguez, and Halle Berry.
Now, in the video, the Dune: Part Two actor almost resembles the real-life John Wick showing off his gun skills. Butler has been busy after his highly acclaimed portrayal of legendary musician and actor Elvis Presley in his 2022 biographical movie Elvis. Since then, Butler has joined several mainstream projects including the Apple TV+ drama Masters of the Air and Jeff Nichols’ crime thriller The Bikeriders, and of course, it is impossible to ignore his villainous role in Denis Villeneuve’s latest film.
Mann’s upcoming project will serve as a prequel and sequel, per Deadline, and the movie will follow Neil McCauley, Chris Shiherlis, and Vincent Hanna revolving around the crime saga set in Los Angeles. Heat 2 will follow Meg Gardiner and Michael Mann’s New York Times bestseller of the same name, and Warner Bros., the studio behind the original movie, is expected to rope in for the project. Now, seeing Butler in the training video, it is plausible that the rumor may actually come true.
Austin Butler Endured Intense Physical Training For Dune: Part Two
Butler’s character in Villeneuve’s blockbuster sci-fi required a fierce look to justify his villainous prowess on screen. To achieve that, the actor had to endure intense training that made him “throw up every time.”
Speaking with First We Feast’s Hot Ones, the 32-year-old revealed details of his training for Dune: Part Two. “Yeah, I mean, [my trainer] basically just worked me until I would throw up every time,” Butler said sharing his experience working with Duffy Gaver who trained Brad Pitt for Troy, and Chris Hemsworth for his MCU role.
“Duffy, I found him because he’s this sort of legend. He was a Navy Seal and he trained Brad Pitt for Troy. And he’s the nicest guy as well. But he also doesn’t really count reps. He just goes for it and you’re just going and you’re like, ‘How many of these am I going to do?’ And once you get to the point where you’re dying and you can hardly do another, he goes ‘Alright, do ten more.’”
Butler further revealed that he was not keen on letting his trainer down by giving up easily, explaining that “because he’s so tough.” The actor just kept “pushing your body to the absolute limit of what it can do.” The hard work paid off, it was all evident in Butler’s portrayal of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, Baron Vladimir Harkonnen’s (Stellan Skarsgård) youngest nephew and one of the primary ruthless antagonists to Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides.
Dune: Part Two is currently showing in theaters.
