Christopher Walken set to spice up Dune: Part Two
The veteran actor will portray Emperor Shaddam IV in Denis Villeneuve's sequel
Aux News Dune
The spice must flow! Christopher Walken has joined the cast of Dune: Part Two, Denis Villeneuve’s continued adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic sci-fi novel. The first installment was released last year to great acclaim, setting up Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet) fulfilling his destiny as the Lisan al-Gaib/Kwisatz Haderach, the legendary messiah of the desert planet Arrakis.
The veteran actor will be portraying Emperor Shaddam IV. While unseen in the first film, the all-powerful ruler was established as a forbidding presence, being in league with House Harkonnen in the quest to sabotage House Atreides.
Considering that one of Dune’s most memorable scenes was of the emperor’s elite forces being anointed with blood and listening to throat singing before going into battle, expectations are going to be high for when we see the man himself. José Ferrer played the emperor in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune, which compressed the notably lengthy book into a single film.
Walken recently appeared on the Apple TV+ dark comedy/thriller Severance, which coincidentally featured his character Burt finding a secret room full of plants in a very Dune-like move. He’s also part of the ensemble cast of the BBC series The Outlaws, the first season of which was just made available in the US.
Alongside Chalamet, Dune stars anticipated to return include Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and Javier Bardem. Other newcomers are Florence Pugh, who will be playing the emperor’s daughter Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha, a Harkonnen heir and Paul’s sworn enemy.
Dune: Part Two is set to go into production later this year. As of March, Villeneuve said that the script was “mostly” complete, and his co-writer Jon Spaihts is already looking forward to the possibility of adapting the second book in the series, Dune Messiah. The film is anticipated for an October 2023 release.
70 Comments
I . . . guess?Would have cast David Lynch though.
It would have been cute to also include some of the surviving actors from his version of Dune in small parts — like Kyle MacLachlan, Patrick Stewart, and Sting.
Counterpoint: it’s fucking annoying when movies do that.
They shouldn’t bother with Dune Messiah or any of the other books IMO. I can’t see an entertaining/not batshit insane movie from any of them.
I just read Messiah this winter and thought it was better than I’d expected; it’d make a great part three to Dune 1 + 2. Why wouldn’t you want a batshit insane blockbuster???
I just think the Messiah plot would be a massive downer for anyone thrilled by Dune 1 and 2. Apparently Herbert wanted to ‘humble’ Paul Atreides after his hero arc in the first 2 books.
And I’d argue that downer is key to Dune (the book; while Dune 1 has made some gestures towards “being space messiah is bad mkay?”, we’re yet to see if Dune 2 will round out that arc); I think the events of Messiah are the themes/subtext of Dune made text.
Seeing as how the movie opens with a monologue about colonizers and Paul is already having emotional tantrums about his destiny, I’m confident they’re going to at least try and round out the arc.
These are worthy themes to cover in the book. I am just not sure it can be the entertaining blockbuster movie that Dune 1 was, and I assume Dune 2 will be. These are very expensive movies and the Christ-like hero defeats evil against the odds is always a popular blockbuster theme. Our hero’s victory turning out to be a bad thing may be not so popular.
Again, that is literally the point of Dune: Colonialism bad.
And yet again, I’m literally talking about the difficulty making a successful $200m movie with a plot where you tell the audience that the hero’s victory in the last movie resulted in the deaths of billions. Literally.
Yes, and?
It’s a smaller-scale story and yes it’s a downer, so those are both challenges, but I can imagine them livening it up without dumbing it down— Herbert throws so many little background things and barely-described past events into all of these books, extrapolating on some of those could be an interesting way to misdirect people until the shit really starts hitting the fan. And there’s some pretty juicy pulpy stuff too, Herbert starting to lean into the horror aspect a little and also playing with flashier SF notions like shape-shifters.
Messiah *is* the second book.
True!
Anyway, if you really want batshit insane, there’s Children of Dune in which Paul’s son Leto II turns into a sand worm. That’s kind of where the series went off the rails.
I’d be happy to see Lynch return to direct God Emperor. Cronenberg would be a good choice too.
Ari Aster?
I don’t remember that in Children of Dune — I just remember Leto and his twin sister standing back-to-back with krysknives drawn at the end.
The thing about Dune Messiah is that you kind of need it to understand the point. Paul isn’t a “hero”. Like all supposed “great men” of history like Alexander, Caesar, and Napoleon, he is responsible for countless deaths. But unlike them he actually comes to realize it and regret it.
He regrets it BEFORE he does it, because spice gives him the power to see everything he must do, and how to do it. It does not give him the power to feel good about it.
What a stupid take. Dune Messiah is basically the whole point of what’s happening in Dune
The memes should be suitably epic.
He’s looking old. It’ll be less Christopher Walken and more Christopher Strollen
Christopher Walken…something you didn’t see a lot of in the Reeve household.
HOW DARE YOU
He’ll likely just be on a throne, giving orders and looking cool. Hopefully with a ridiculous outfit that walken will make incredible.
Walk without rhythm. It won’t attract the worm.The prophecy is complete.
Yeah, Christoper Walken will teach the prince the ancient art of Fremen sanddance
Magnificent.
I love it when this dude actually acts. King of New York, Seven Psychopaths, Hairspray; he’s a legit phenomenal performer when he’s asked to do more than just be a living meme.
He was fucking awesome as Max Zorin. This is a hill I will die on.
I’m glad to see you included Hairspray in that list. The Walken/Travolta in drag marriage was a beautiful thing.I’d add to your list his Catch Me if You Can performance.
Catch Me If You Can was the one I was going to mention. It was fun to watch him play smooth and charming again.
It’s funny, I would use Catch Me If You Can as an example of why I’m wary of Walken doing this role. He’s so good at being slightly vulnerable.I want this Emperor to be absolute and intimidating. Not sure how he’s going to pull this off.
Two words: True Romance
That’s a very good counterpoint. Side note, that scene with Dennis Hopper has not aged well
It’s Tarantino finding yet another excuse to ram racist langauge into a script. Hopper deliberately goads Walken into shooting him because he knows he’s going to die and might as well skip the torture part if possible. I don’t know that it’s aged badly, if only because it was intended to be nasty to start with.
Catch Me If You Can is wonderful: I just wish he were in it more! (granted that is a prime example of how much of an impression you can leave with relatively little screentime)
catch me if you can is a personal fave performance too.
Two little mice, fell into a bucket of cream.
I haven’t seen it in a long time, but I recall him giving an excellent performance in “The Comfort of Strangers.” Alongside Helen Mirren. https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099292/
He is absolutely astounding in Severance. Never thought I’d be so moved by a Walken / Turturro romance.
I watched this recently, and I was so invested in their relationship. I never would have believed that on paper, but it turns out they’re both very mature, capable actors.
I love it when he dances even more than when he acts. Whenever I need a pick-me-up I will watch his Weapon of Choice video and it ALWAYS puts me in a good mood. Wonder if they can crowbar a Goldmember-”Beyond the Sea” like dance sequence into the Dune sequel LOL.
Also his tap dancing pimp cameo in Pennies in Heaven.
Personally I would have preferred Domnhall Gleeson, that’s about as close to the book version as you can get. But I’m sure Walken will crush it.
Ugh. I love Walken but I don’t love this casting choice.
I can’t pick just one photo, so please Google:Walken Balls Of Fury.
I’m not sureif I likethis ideaor not.
More cowbell!
I GOT A FEVER. AND THE ONLY PRESCRIPTION IS MORE SPICE!
“Your father hid this shai-hulud up his ass…”
The SPICE……is gonna FLOW
Who doesn’t like Chris Walken? All the same, this doesn’t sound like the best idea, imo. Walken is just so singular in his approach to parts and performance that one usually expects him to do/say something very weird or outrageous. It’s going to be distracting, at the very least. I know I’d be focused entirely on his character to the exclusion of everyone else. The tone already established for this movie, unlike Lynch’s work, is pretty somber. If Walken has to ‘play it straight’ I’m not sure he could add anything to the character than any other actor might. Kind of a waste of Walken’s talents.
Natalie Wood
I don’t know what your reply mean, but Brainstorm is my favorite Walken film. It’s also very prescient.
So I finally got around to watching the first one this weekend and man the casting is just spot-on. I was REALLY not convinced about Chalamet in that role but he’s exceptional. So on one hand I have to assume Villanueve knows what he’s doing, and on the other am concerned that someone as distinctive as Walken will be distracting. Either way I’m pumped for the next one.
Glad you’ve had a chance to see it. There’s something to be said for waiting until all of the furor settles down. Too bad we have to wait until October 2023 for the next installment :/
Yeah the news that they are just now ready to start filming was disappointing. I knew the first one had to prove out but didn’t expect it to take this long.
I wasn’t aware the Landsraad needed more cowbell.
Are there Chesterfields in space?.
It’s an interesting choice for sure.
in honor of another recently announced and very welcome sequel, my interest in the Dune sequel was already at a 10, but this pushed it to 11 LOL
Sure, but how big of a fat suit are they putting him in?
Wrong character.
Right character! Provided you have the interests I do.
I.. just wanna hear the Walken yelling ”These damn sandworms….They’re blocking..MY SPICE! Guess what! I’ve gotta fever and the only prescription is MORE SPICE!!”