Florence Pugh may play Princess Irulan in Dune Part 2

Florence Pugh made waves in the Marvel Cinematic Universe when she debuted in Black Widow as Yelena Belova, the sister of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff. She further showed off Yelena’s personality and wit on Hawkeye, stealing scenes and eating up all Kate Bishop’s macaroni and cheese.

Now, however, word is that Pugh is being considered for another major genre movie project. The A.V. Club reports that Pugh is currently in talks to join Dune Part 2. She is one of several actors being considered for the role of Princess Irulan, and is believed to be one of the frontrunners for the part.

Dune isn’t the only large project Pugh is being considered for. She’s also in the running to play Madonna in the upcoming biopic Material Girl. And given the scheduling problems it coudl cause, she might have to do one movie or the other.

Dune Part 2 is currently in pre-production, with director Denis Villeneuve reassembling the team that helped him make the first film. ”The thing that helps us right now is that it’s the first time I’ve revisited a universe,” Villeneuve said in February. “So I’m working with the same crew, everybody knows what to do, we know what it will look like. The movie will be more challenging, but we know where we are stepping. And the screenplay is written. So I feel confident.”

Who is Princess Irulan in Dune?

So who is Princess Irulan? Let’s get into some SPOILERS. Readers of Frank Herbert’s Dune books will know she’s a major player not just in the first Dune novel but subsequent ones as well, so if Pugh is cast she could have this gig for a while.

Irulan is the daughter of the 81st Padishah Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, meaning she’s the heir to the entire galactic political machine. After Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) leads the Fremen in an attack on the emperor on Arrakis, a marriage is arranged between Irulan and Paul to keep the greater galactic peace.

At first this pleases Irulan…until she realizes that it’s ultimately a marriage of convenience. Paul is already in love with Chani, his longtime consort and mother of his children. This leads to a pretty messy arc in the second Dune book, Dune Messiah, where Irulan tries to disrupt Chani’s pregnancy but accidentally causes her death. In later books, Irulan becomes a steadfast stepmother to Chani and Paul’s children. While we may never see the movies reach that point, it’s still a meaty role. Given Pugh’s talent and rapport with Chalamet — she also worked with him in Little Women — it seems like she’d be a great fit for the part.

Dune Part 2 is currently in pre-production. The first film recently returned to HBO Max ahead of the March 27 Oscar ceremony, where it’s up for 10 awards including Best Picture.

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