Austin Butler and Florence Pugh in talks to join 'Dune: Part Two'

Actors are in final stages of negotiations for their role in the sequel to the hit 2021 film, expected to be released in 2023

Austin Butler and Florence Pugh are close to getting the roles of Feyd-Rautha and Princess Irulan in 'Dune: Part Two'. Photo: Getty Images and AFP

Ahead of his big screen turn as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's biopic, actor Austin Butler is set to join the starry cast of science fiction epic Dune: Part Two, the sequel to the 2021 hit Dune. Butler is in the final stages of negotiations to play Feyd-Rautha, the nephew of the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, according to Variety.

The role is of one of the most important new characters appearing in the sequel, the magazine reported.

In Frank Herbert's book, on which the film is based, Feyd-Rautha is the heir to the Harkonnen empire and is depicted as cruel, treacherous and also cunning like his uncle. Swedish actor Stellan Skarsgard played Harkonnen in the Denis Villeneuve film, a critical and commercial success with 10 Oscar nominations.

Scroll through the gallery below for stills from 'Dune':

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  Sharon Duncan-Brewster as Liet Kynes, an Imperial Planetologist who was originally written as a man in Frank Herbert's novel. All photos: Chiabella James / Warner Bros Pictures

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  Timothee Chalamet as Paul Atreides and Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica Atreides in 'Dune'.

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  Ferguson plays Chalamet's mother in the sci-fi film.

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  Zendaya stars as Chani, one of the native Fremen inhabitants of the planet Arrakis.

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  Oscas Isaac plays Duke Leto Atreides, Chalamet's father.

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  Josh Brolin as elite warrior Gurney Halleck.

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  Jason Momoa as Duncan Idaho, a warrior who helps train Chalamet's character.

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  A sequel to the film has now been confirmed.

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  Scenes were filmed in Jordan and the UAE, as well as Budapest.

Butler's news comes days after it was reported that Black Widow star Florence Pugh was also in negotiations to play Princess Irulan, a member of the House of Corrino, and someone who becomes romantically involved with hero Paul Atreides, played by Timothee Chalamet in the film. Chalamet and Pugh were last seen together in the acclaimed 2019 film Little Women, for which Pugh scored a Best Supporting Actress Oscar nomination.

If Butler and Pugh seal the deal, they will join an ensemble returning cast that includes Chalamet, Skarsgard, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Dave Bautista, Zendaya and Javier Bardem.

Production on the sequel is expected to start this summer, with the film scheduled to be released in October 2023. Portions of Dune were shot in the Abu Dhabi desert, and it's not clear yet if the team will return to shoot in the same locations.

“Some new characters will be introduced in the second part and a decision I made very early on was that this first part would be more about Paul Atreides and the Bene Gesserit, and his experience of being in contact for the first time with a different culture. Second part, there will be much more Harkonnen stuff," director Villeneuve told Empire magazine.

Dune has made more than $400 million at the global box office.