10 biggest book-to-screen changes in Dune: Part Two

6. Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen

One of the most memorable new characters introduced in Dune: Part Two is Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, a psychotic, sadistic schemer and fighter played by Austin Butler. He's the nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and the baron's heir apparent.

All of that is carried over from the novel, but the movie changes some details and leaves some things out. For instance, in the movie, it looks like Baron Harkonnen only looks to Feyd-Rautha to replace his other nephew, Glossu "Beast" Rabban Harkonnen, as a lieutenant when Beast Rabban does a bad job managing the spice production on Arrakis. But in the book, it's always the baron's place to eventually replace Rabban with Feyd. He figures that Rabban will rule over Arrakis with an iron fist, the people will grow to hate him, and then Feyd will come in and "save" them from his despotic tyrant, earning their love. (It should be noted that Feyd doesn't look like a vampire in the book, so that plan might make more sense.)

In the movie, we see a scene where Feyd-Rautha faces down a trio of slave gladiators in a fighting pit. Two are drugged so as not to actually endanger Feyd — the fight is for show — but the baron has arranged for the third to be sober, because he wants to see what his nephew will do. In the book, Feyd arranges this himself with the help of Thufir Hawat, hoping to make himself look like a badass in front of the throng. It works.

The biggest cut scene involves Feyd trying to assassinate the baron so he can take his place. Feyd sends a young boy into the baron's chambers armed with a poison needle, but it doesn't work. The baron figures it out, orders that some of Feyd's entourage be killed in punishment for the attempt, and makes a deal with his nephew: stop trying to kill me and I'll declare you my heir and help you try and become emperor. The movie skips over this incident and jumps right to Feyd hearing and accepting this deal.