We saw earlier this week that Dave Bautista has joined the Dune film that’s being put together and it seems like the general consensus is that he’s going to play Rabban in it. Now, another piece of casting news has arrived that reveals that Stellan Skarsgård has joined the production, according to THR. He’ll be playing the role of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen who is essentially the main villain of this portion of the book. Skarsgård has played a wide range of roles over the years and is ideal to bring to life this interpretation of the character.
The film previously cast Timothee Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, and Dave Bautista.
The first book has sold some twelve million copies in the 50+ years since its debut and it’s one that has been largely considered unfilmable because so much of it revolves on internal dialogue, politics, intrigue and other small elements. It is, in my thinking, the kind of ideal show for a premium cable network as it really does require the length of time to tell the tale and dig into the expansive cast. I actually began re-reading the books once again this year, something I seem to do every seven years or so, and am in the midst of Children of Dune so that I can get to my favorite of the core four with God Emperor of Dune. I can see how these can be filmed but it requires a kind of reinvention on the previous views of how to do it, moving away from some of the 60′s inspired visuals that populated Jodorowsky and Lynch’s attempts at the project for something a little more, weirdly to say, traditional but with the grand scope.
Plot concept: Set in the distant future, Dune tells the story of Paul Atreides whose family accepts control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, control of Arrakis is highly contested among the noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship to nature as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s control of Arrakis.
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