Austin Butler is in talks to join the cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part 2 as the villainous Feid-Routa, the sadistic nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård) and heir to the Harkonnen empire. The role is one of the most important new characters to appear in Dune: Part 2. A source close to the project told Variety that Butler is in the “very early stages” of joining the film. Butler is joining the franchise alongside Florence Pugh, who was announced earlier this week in final talks as Princess Irulan.
With his casting in Dune: Part 2, Butler joins the returning Villeneuve franchise ensemble that includes Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya and Javier Bardem. The sequel is expected to begin production this summer, with the film set to hit theaters on October 20, 2023. The role of Butler, Fade-Rout, was played by Sting in David Lynch’s infamous 1984 film adaptation.
Butler is the star of Baz Luhrmann’s upcoming film Elvis, also produced by Warner Bros. Butler’s additional credits include a supporting role in Quentin Tarantino’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He first appeared as an actor on the ABC family series Switched at Birth. Butler’s upcoming projects also include a role in the Apple TV Plus limited series Masters of Air.
Villeneuve teased “Dune: Part 2” earlier this year in an interview with Empire magazine, saying “Some new characters will be introduced in Part 2 and the decision I made very early on was that this first part would be more about Paul. Atreides. and the Bene Gesserit and his experience of first contact with another culture. There will be a lot more Harkonnen stuff in part 2.”
Dune grossed almost $400 million worldwide and received 10 Oscar nominations, including Best Picture and Best Adapted Screenplay. Villeneuve was rejected in the Best Director category, an omission that drew some backlash.
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