The casts of the Dune movies are insane. Let me just list off some of the people who have appeared so far: Timothée Chalamet, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa, Stellan Skarsgård, Javier Bardem, Zendaya, Florence Pugh, Austin Butler, Christopher Walken...what other prominent actors are left to cast?
Director Denis Villeneuve found one. According to The Hollywood Reporter, Robert Pattinson is circling the role of the villain of the piece, although a formal offer hasn't been made yet. Since his days on Twilight, Pattinson has become a prestigious actor, appearing in arthouse favorites like The Lighthouse as well as mainstream hits like The Batman. He would fit right in alongside the other high-powered cast members.
Villenueve's first two Dune movies adapted Frank Herbert's seminal sci-fi novel Dune, which came out in 1965. The third movie would adapt the sequel book Dune Messiah, which came out in 1969. That one is shorter, so it will only take one movie to adapt. Messiah picks up several years into Paul Atreides' reign as the emperor of the known universe. He's married to the former emperor's daughter Irulan (Pugh) but still carrying on his relationship with his Fremen paramour Chani (Zendaya). Things are tense all around.
If Pattinson does indeed join the movie, he would play Scytale, a member of a mysterious sect called the Bene Tleilax. Scytale is part of a conspiracy trying to destabilize Paul's government, and to say anymore than would give the game away.
Pattinson has other commitments, like playing Bruce Wayne in the sequel to The Batman and starring in Christopher Nolan's upcoming movie based on The Odyssey. If he can find the time, I'm sure he would be terrific in Dune: Part Three. If not, I'm sure there's some other poor A-lister out there who needs a job.
Dune: Part Three is due out on December 18, 2026. Although Frank Herbert wrote more Dune books beyond Messiah, this will be the last one that Denis Villeneuve will direct.
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