Directed by Denis Villeneuve, Dune: Part Two is an epic science fiction space opera movie that is also the sequel to 2021’s Dune and the second installment of the two-part adaptation of the 1965 novel of the same name by Frank Herbert. The movie has an ensemble cast including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Austin Butler, Zendaya, Josh Brolin, and more. The sequel follows Paul Atreides as he reunites with the Fremen people to wage war against House Harkonnen.
The movie had its world premiere in London on February 15th, 2024, and has received a positive response from those who were able to watch it. Dune: Part Two is set to release worldwide on March 1st, 2024. Rebecca Ferguson, who plays Lady Jessica in the movie, recently shared her admiration for her co-star, and no it’s not Timothée Chalamet.
Rebecca Ferguson calls Austin Butler’s character Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen her favorite
At the premiere of Dune: Part Two, actress Rebecca Ferguson who plays Lady Jessica in the movie was asked during an interview with Variety about her experience of working with the new cast members including Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, and more. The actress said,
“It was such a joy, and there was also some treats that I didn’t know until I saw the film. It was phenomenal. Austin is by far, my favorite character because he stands out so gruesomely sexy and raw. I think the world of Harkonnen is so visual, it’s like a photo shoot.”
During her interview with Collider, Rebecca Ferguson, who was at the time promoting her show Silo was asked about what the audience could expect from the upcoming sequel to which she said,
“I’m smiling so much right now. It’s so f**king good. I get emotional talking about it because I love Denny, and I love Greig Fraser, and I love the team. But dude, number one is phenomenal and big and grandiose, and then you go close-ups and the imagery and the acting. Yeah, it’s all great. It’s f**king nothing compared to number two. Number two, it’s like a f**king gut punch. It’s unreal.”
The actress went ahead to talk about how she wanted to see Austin Butler do what he was doing and added that it was unbelievable. She said what the actor brings to his character is unreal.
Austin Butler on toning down his method acting for Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
Austin Butler shook the entire world when he transformed into Elvis Presley as he spent about three years researching and trying to understand the music icon but had to tone down his method acting process for Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune: Part Two. In an interview with the Los Angeles Times, the actor goes ahead and shares his decision to tone down the process;
“I’ve definitely in the past with Elvis explored living within that world for three years and that being the only thing that I think about day and night. With Feyd, I knew that, that would be unhealthy for my family and friends. So, I made a conscious decision to have a boundary.”
Butler continued to share,
“It allowed for more freedom between action and cut because I knew I was going to protect everybody else outside of the context of what we were doing. That’s not to say that it doesn’t bled into your life. But I knew that I wasn’t going to do anything dangerous outside of that boundary and in a way that allowed me to go deeper.”
Denis Villeneuve, who joined the interview, shared that when the cameras were rolling, the actor seemed like he was possessed, and when they were off, he was still maybe 25-30% Feyd. He lastly added that Feyd was still present and focused in Butler but removed enough that he didn’t kill anybody on set.
Dune: Part Two releases on March 1st, 2024.
