Dune: Part One already boasted one of the most star-studded casts in film history, which included Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Oscar Isaac, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgård, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, Charlotte Rampling, Jason Momoa, and Javier Bardem. Now another major name is reportedly in talks to join the sequel, Dune: Part Two — Florence Pugh. It’s reported that the new Black Widow is in negotiations to play Princess Irulan. Director, producer, and co-screenwriter Denis Villeneuve is returning.
Princess Irulan Corrino is the eldest daughter of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, who plays a very important part in the life of Paul Atreides (Chalamet). Among other things, she begins to chronicle his life in written tomes.
Dune: Part Two is in pre-production. Production is expected to begin in the fall, with the sequel already locked into an October 20, 2023, theatrical release date. It should relieve a lot of people, including the film’s creators, that Warner Bros. will ONLY be releasing this in theaters. (Unlike last year when they dropped Part One (and all of the studio’s major movies) on HBO Max the same day it dropped in theaters.)
Even so, Part One had a decent theatrical opening weekend of $41 million, which is impressive considering that the pandemic was still in full swing and that the film’s 2½-hour runtime prevented it from being shown as many times as a typical release. It went on to make over $400 million worldwide.
The movie received overwhelmingly positive reactions from audiences and critics. It is nominated in 10 categories for the 94th Academy Awards, including Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, and Best Cinematography.
Pugh has been on the rise for years now with roles in the horror flick Malevolent, the Dwayne Johnson-produced Fighting with my Family, Midsommar, and Little Women, for which she was nominated for the Best Supporting Actress Oscar.
But she burst into a new level of fame by portraying Yelena Belova, the sister of Scarlett Johansson’s Natasha Romanoff in Black Widow. She has reprised the role on HBO Max’s hit series Hawkeye and is expected to make even more Marvel Cinematic Universe appearances in years to come.
Pugh will next appear in the retro science fiction film Don’t Worry Darling. She has completed the movies The Wonder and A Good Person. Pugh is currently filming Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer which also stars Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, Matt Damon, and Robert Downey Jr.
Did you enjoy Dune: Part One? Are you excited about the sequel?
