Early reviews for Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two are here, and critics are heavily praising Austin Butler for his performance as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. The actor, who rose to prominence for his role in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis, is stealing the spotlight.
Butler is becoming the darling of the crowd, and even though he admitted he did not go full method acting in his portrayal of the famed Dune: Part Two antagonist, it appears as he did because of his commitment to the character.
Critics Hail Austin Butler’s Performance In Dune: Part Two
As Dune: Part Two is yet to arrive in cinemas worldwide, the early screenings for the movie have driven the critics wild with their positive reviews, with most of them focusing on Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. On Twitter, @bobgoochman raved about the actor’s performance:
“I thought Austin Butler was a good actor who was deserving of his best actor nom for Elvis but his work as Feyd Rautha in Dune 2 is about 10 levels above that. it’s a “BIG” performance that Villeneuve asks of him and he NAILS it. one of the more instantly iconic villains in recent memory.”
Other fans and critics who attended the screening were also blown away by Butler’s epic rendition of the iconic villain. Check out their tweets below:
More gushing about #DunePartTwo apart from the visual spectacle. The acting was superb with Timothée showing off Paul’s character arc really well. Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha was every bit menacing and sadistic. The almost 3 hour run time flew by quickly and is worth a rewatch! pic.twitter.com/fESIN9BepM
— SJ (@internist345) February 26, 2024
There’s a lot to praise about #DunePartTwo but one thing I can’t seem to get out of my mind is Austin Butler’s terrifying performance as Feyd-Rautha. Butler has such a menacing presence & makes the character far more brutal & intimidating than ever before. Needed more of him pic.twitter.com/ngHbNSgc70
— Connor (@ConnorMovies) February 26, 2024
It takes a while for Austin Butler’s Feyd Rautha to show up on screen but when he does he’s electric. Straight up channels his inner Heath Ledger with that savage performance. Could very well see him end up with a Best Supporting Acting Nom. Steals every scene he’s in.
— FINISH THE STORY (@BlackRice19) February 26, 2024
#DunePart2 is a visual spectacle on another level and an incredible follow up to the first film, Hans Zimmer's score CLEARS, Timothee is sensational as is the rest of the cats, hands down my MVP goes to Austin Butler's MENACING Feyd-Rautha, truly a villain to remember pic.twitter.com/uJw7cTZ6KV
— Andrew Markowitz (@amarkowitz52) February 26, 2024
What a movie!! The cast, cinematography, costumes, score, sets, etc. are all gorgeous! Austin as Feyd was beyond my expectations. And, they were high!! To me some of the best shots were not in any trailer. He was PHENOMENAL!! Y'all are going to LOVE it!#AustinButler #DunePart2 pic.twitter.com/mre2JQOwvo
— BB Butler (@BBButler91) February 26, 2024
Even director Denis Villeneuve admitted he was surprised to see the intensity that the actor gave to the character, and he also knew from the start that there was no one else who could play the part other than Butler.
Denis Villeneuve Heavily Praised Austin Butler’s Screen Presence
Prior to the early screenings and critics’ reviews, Denis Villeneuve described what fans could expect from Austin Butler’s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. He enumerated every possible comparison via Empire:
“Austin brought something that is a cross between a psychopath killer, an Olympic sword master, a snake, and Mick Jagger. He has tremendous s*x appeal and charisma and madness. It’s really out there.”
Because of how much commendation Butler gets for his performance in Dune: Part Two, many fans would speculate the actor would have done method acting. In this case, it’s partly true.
Villeneuve told the Los Angeles Times that the star was only “25 or 30% Feyd. Just enough to still be present and focus but removed enough.” Butler added:
“With Feyd, I knew that that would be unhealthy for my family and friends. So I made a conscious decision to have a boundary. 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.”
Dune: Part Two’s cast also includes Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Josh Brolin, and Anya Taylor-Joy.
The sequel will follow the second half of Frank Herbert’s Dune novel as Chalamet’s Paul Atreides rises to power among the Fremen. A third installment is also expected, as the director previously proposed the franchise to be a trilogy.
Dune: Part Two will arrive in theaters on March 1, 2024.
