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Austin Butler talks becoming Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune 2

By Rich Eberwein

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 05: Austin Butler attends the Sydney premiere of ELVIS at the State Theatre on June 05, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage)
SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - JUNE 05: Austin Butler attends the Sydney premiere of ELVIS at the State Theatre on June 05, 2022 in Sydney, Australia. (Photo by Don Arnold/WireImage) /
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Fresh off a Golden Globe nomination for his performance in Elvis, Austin Butler sat down with Backstage, where he discussed his upcoming role in Dune: Part 2.

Butler will be playing one of the main villains in the Dune sequel: Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the nephew of Stellan Skarsgard’s Barron Harkonnen. The young actor said he went through a rigorous training program to get his body in shape to play the formidable antagonist.

“There were many things where we would break down little moments of physicality, or just really trying to dig into the humanity of certain people,” Butler said. “The bad guy in the world, doesn’t feel that he’s the bad guy. He feels that he is the hero of his own story. That can be a hard thing with certain characters, and to others it’s easier.”

Austin Butler doesn’t think of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen as the villain

Butler has some experience playing the bad guy. In arguably his breakout role, Butler appeared as Tex Watson in 2019’s Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, directed by Quentin Tarantino. Watson was a member of Charles Manson’s cult in that film, and was at the head of an attempted murder plot that goes sideways. Prior to that, Butler was mostly known for his Nickelodeon career, where he appeared frequently on shows like Ned’s Declassified and Zoey 101. Now Butler’s career is taking off, and an exceptional performance in Dune: Part 2 could solidify him as an established star.

Butler said Dune director Denis Villeneuve’s attention to detail helped with his performance. “[Y]ou have to not judge the character and find a way to really feel the motivation towards any one of your actions so we had a lot of conversations and crafted that together. Denis is so thoughtful and he doesn’t miss anything. His attention to detail is really remarkable.”

Dune: Part 2 is scheduled to release on November 3, 2023. In addition to Butler, new cast members include Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan), Lea Seydoux (Lady Margot), and Christopher Walken (Emperor Shaddam IV).

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