The emperor of the universe has been found.
Christopher Walken has nabbed the plum role of Emperor Shaddam IV in Dune: Part Two, the all-star continuation to Denis Villeneuve’s Oscar-winning adaptation of the Frank Herbert science fiction classic.
Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson and Javier Bardem, among others, are returning for the Legendary feature, with Florence Pugh and Austin Butler among the newcomers.
The story resumes where Part One left off, with Paul Atreides (Chalamet) fighting alongside the Fremen to free the desert planet of Arrakis from the grips of House Harkonnen.
Walken will play the ruler of the known universe who initially sends the Atreides family to Arrakis in order to cause their downfall. In the continuation, he and the baron terrorize the populace and must contend with the rebellion. Jose Ferrer played the part in the 1984 movie adaptation by David Lynch.
Pugh is playing Princess Irulan, the daughter of the emperor, while Butler is Feyd-Rautha, the cunning nephew of the baron who heads House Harkonnen and who is being groomed to rule Arrakis.
Shooting is set to begin this summer in Budapest with Villeneuve in the director’s seat. He also co-wrote the script with Jon Spaihts.
(Excerpt) Read more in: The Hollywood Reporter