Dune 2star Austin Butler has officially begun knife training for his role as Feyd-Rautha in the upcoming sci-fi epic. Director Denis Villeneuve will finally be able to see his overall vision of Frank Herbert’sDuneall the way through, with the second installment currently underway. The announcement of the sequel came quite quickly afterDune: Part 1took home an astonishing $400 million at the worldwide box office.
The first part of Villeneuve’sDuneintroduced and brought to life many of the best-selling novel’s most important characters. Most notably, hero Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet),Zendaya’s ominous Fremen Chani, and corrupt villain Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard) come to mind. A couple of main characters were left out of the first film though, which could hint that they may in fact just be fashionably late, saving up their grand debut forDune 2. One of the most crucial characters who has yet to make an appearance is Feyd-Rautha, the heartless nephew of Baron Harkonnen.
RELATED:Dune Part 2 Begins Production In July, Florence Pugh Casting Officially Announced
The role of Feyd-Rautha was played originally by Sting in the iconic 1984Dunemovie. In the film, Feyd-Rautha makes it his ultimate mission to personally kill Paul Atreides, which progresses into a high-stakes knife fight. ForDune: Part 2, Villeneuve has chosenElvisandOnce Upon a Time In Hollywoodactor Butler to portray the wicked Feyd-Rautha. Knife fighting proved to play a key role in the overall plot ofDune: Part 1due to the epic sequences where Paul battles the Fremen Jamis (Babs Olusanmokun) until the latter’s fatal death. As reported by theNew York Times, Butler’s knife fight training is officially underway for his highly anticipated role inDune: Part 2.
OG fans of theDunenovel already know that Paul will without a doubt have to rely on his knife skills in order to try and defeat Feyd in the second half of the story. Many other actors were seriously considered for the role other than Butler, which begs the question of what exactly it was about the young actor thatattracted the attention of Villeneuve? Reportedly,Dunkirkstar Harry Styles andReady Player Onestar Tye Sheridan were also in discussion for the role as well.
Fans seemed to lobby for Barry Keoghan to take on the highly sought-after role of Feyd-Rautha before Butler sealed the deal. However, the confirmation thatButler’sDune 2training has commencedalso solidifies that the knife fight between Paul and his worst enemy will be featured inDune: Part 2.Although, this news may not come as a surprise to many fans, given how loyal Villeneuve was to the novel’s story for the adaption ofDune: Part 1. As for Butler, fans will have to keep an open mind and trust Villeneuve’s overall process and judgment call.
Dune: Part 2is scheduled to release in theaters on June 28, 2025.
MORE:Every Denis Villeneuve Movie, Ranked (& Where you’re able to Stream Them)
