So we finally have casting news surrounding the role of the Emperor in Dune Part 2. Deadline and
pretty much all major sources have confirmed that Christopher Walken will be playing the
iconic role in the film, just a few months ahead of filming. In this video, I'm going to be
discussing the news and giving my general thoughts on the new casting. But before I get into
it though, if you want to keep up to date on any of my content surrounding the Dune Part 1,
Part 2 and beyond, then don't forget to support this video by giving it a like rating,
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which is all linked in the description below. But without further a do,
lets dive into the new casting reveal for Dune Part 2.
So Denis Villeneuve’s Dune was a stunning science fiction epic that gave us a new take
on Paul Atreides in the beginning his story, but it was also a film that set in line a number of
elements and particularly characters that were going to be introduced in a part 2. It was
clear that these things were going to be a huge part of Dune Part 2, and in the last day we've
had some more news on who will be playing another important role in the sequel. The latest casting
news comes through a Deadline report, stating that legendary actor Christopher Walken
has officially signed on to star as the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV in Dune: Part 2, the main
figure responsible for sending the Atreides House to the planet Arrakis. In the book, the
Emperor and House Harkonnen appear shocked when they learn more about the resistance of the Fremen
and Paul following the attempt at wiping out House Atreides. And with Dune Part 2 now
putting these factions more central, were not only going to get a portrayal of the emperor,
but in fact a role that is highly prominent. Christopher Walken's Emperor joins a huge cast
ensemble that features Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya and Josh Brolin,
and he will also feature amongst other new roles, with that of Florence Pugh, who is playing his
daughter Princess Irulan, and Austin Butler as the Baron's cunning nephew Feyd-Rautha.
Unlike Pugh and Butler, Walken's role has been confirmed right from the outset, suggesting that
this might have been in the planning for a while now,
and with Denis Villeneuve once again, writing, directing and producing Dune Part 2,
it shows the creative control and stamp he is continuously applying with his adaptation.
Dune Part 2's production is expected to start this summer in Budapest, scheduled for a release
on October 20th 2023, and as of March this year, the filmmaker said that the script was
almost complete, and that he's already excited towards the possibility of adapting the second
book in the series, Dune Messiah. That would mean a trilogy of Paul Atreides films, and
multiple big name actors coming back to portray their iconic roles over the coming years. Let's
not forget that the first Dune, even with it's simultaneous release on HBO Max, was able
to do extremely well in theatres and even call for the greenlight of a sequel just a week later.
It grossed $400 million at the worldwide box office and later picked up 10 Oscar
nominations, winning 6 of them. A undeniable huge success and with Walken now joining the team,
it hopefully means he's in safe hands. But not that he needs that because the actor is
coming off the back of two critically-acclaimed TV roles with The Outlaws on Amazon and the recent
show Severance. Add that to a lifelong body of incredible work and you've got an actor
who can do it all. After the teases of the emperor in the first film with the Atreides departure
and the scenes with the Sarduakar, fans will of course have high expectations for
Walken's take on the Emperor and as a fan of his work, I couldn't be more excited myself.
Of course, José Ferrer played the role pretty decently in David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation, but
now, it's time to see what another distinguished actor can do with the famous role.
Overall, I personly think this casting news is great, and while I did expect it to be
someone highly known like Walken, for me, it's the charm of his acting that gets me excited. He's
someone who can do it all whether it be drama or comedy, yet he always brings that classical nature
of his persona to a particular performance. So seeing him try to bring to life one of
the main villains of a universe I love, makes me incredibly excited to see the final outcome.
It's also a funny coincidence that in Fatboy Slim's music video for Weapon Of Choice, one
of the lines he lip sync's is, "Walk without rhythm and you won't attract the worm". And
comedically, here he is starring in Dune as the Emperor. But on a more important note, I think
he can really play this role well and use his age, experience and controlled demeanour to
his advantage. We'll have to see because the end result could go in any direction, but clearly,
Denis has seen something in Walken when it comes to the part and how he's been written
into the script. We will soon be able see what that is, alongside other factors like the visual
design of his character and the golden lion throne that he sits on. And based on the production work,
costuming and character designs of Dune Part 1,
I'm confident this will be of a similar high standard.
But that was my video discussing the confirmed casting of the Emperor in Dune: Part Two. Most
of the elements are now in place for Denis Villeneuve and his team to begin filming this
summer and it will be really interesting to see how these actors perform in the roles they've
been given. I for one think the castings of Feyd, Irulan and the Emperor have been great
on a surface level and have brought even more attention to this highly anticipated sequel,
but it's really down to their performances at the end of the day. We'll have to see, but there
is extroadinary talent already attached and honestly, I trust Denis Villeneuve after
all of the great work put to screen in the first film and the other projects he's directed over
the last few years. But let me know down below in the comments section
what your thoughts are towards the casting of the Emperor in Dune Part 2 and do you
think Christopher Walken is a great fit for the role.
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I hope you guys enjoyed it, I've been Cortex and as always make some noise.