As Dune Part One is in the final stretch of its awards season campaign, Warner Bros and Legendary’s Dune Part Two are stepping up their prep efforts, with sources telling Deadline that Florence Pugh is in talks to join the cast. Although not confirmed, sources say she will play Princess Irulan Corrino, the eldest daughter of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV. She will join returning cast members including Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin, as well as returning director, producer and co-writer Denis Villeneuve.
Legendary no comment. The film is expected to begin production in the fall, with the film premiering on October 20, 2023.
Even with Dune: Part One streaming daily on HBO Max, the film was still able to thrive in theaters with a $41 million opening weekend that beat all expectations and led to a quick clearance for a sequel a few weeks later. To date, the film has grossed $400 million worldwide, including $108 million domestically. It also recently received nine Oscar nominations, including Best Picture.
As for Pugh, the Oscar-nominated actress had a big year, which included her introduction to the Marvel Cinematic Universe in Black Widow, where she played Natasha Romanoff’s sister, Elena. She will reprise her role as Elena in the Marvel series Hawkeye, and the character has quickly become a favorite among MCU fans.
She is currently filming Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated Oppenheimer, which also stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon and Robert Downey Jr., and recently wrapped up Netflix’s Miracle. She is represented by CAA, Brillstein Entertainment and Curtis Brown.