Summary

  • Dune: Part 2 continues the story of Paul Atreides on his journey of revenge and explores the conflict he faces between love and the fate of the universe.
  • Stellan Skarsgard discusses his character, the Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and his search for a successor while dealing with his own weaknesses and injuries.
  • Working with director Denis Villeneuve on Dune: Part 2 was a fantastic experience for Skarsgard, who praises Villeneuve's improvisational methods and love for filmmaking.

Based on the famous Frank Herbert science fiction novel of the same name, Dune: Part 2 adapts the second half of the story, picking up where the 2021 film ended. Paul Atreides is on the hunt for revenge against those who decimated his family, uniting Chani and the Fremen in the process. However, with the knowledge of foresight, Paul will be forced to choose between the woman he loves and the fate of the universe.

Dune: Part 2 features a powerhouse cast led by Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Austin Butler, Florence Pugh, Dave Bautista, Christopher Walken, Léa Seydoux, Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling, and Javier Bardem. Denis Villeneuve directed and produced the sequel. Villeneuve also co-wrote the Dune: Part 2 screenplay with Jon Spaihts.

Princess Irulan (Florence Pugh) composited with an image of Paul standing in front of a major battle in the distance from Dune: Part 2
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After the explosive ending of Dune 2, Dune 3 could cap off Denis Villeneuve’s Dune trilogy by focusing on the events of the novel Dune: Messiah.

Screen Rant interviewed Stellan Skarsgard about his role in Dune: Part 2. He revealed why he wanted to reprise the role of the Baron and his search for a successor in the sequel. Skarsgard also discussed what enticed him about collaborating with Villeneuve once again.

Stellan Skarsgard Talks Dune: Part 2

Screen Rant: How has Baron Vladimir Harkonnen evolved since the first Dune film and what intrigued you the most about reprising the role?

Stellan Skarsgård: He has been wounded. The poisonous gas in the first episode has made him a cripple, and he is depending on life support; those globes you'd see with tubes and everything. And he's weak, so he has to find a successor. What attracted me to the second one? I always wanted to play again with Denis Villeneuve, and I wanted to be a part of the second film as well, but I didn't want to be fat again. So, that was a sort of, "Alright, I'll do it," kind of feeling I had.

Stellan Skarsgard as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen in a low angle shot in Dune 2021

Speaking of a successor, can you talk about the dynamic between the Baron and his nephews Feyd and Beast Rabban?

Stellan Skarsgård: Beast Rabban has misbehaved, and he doesn't take care of Arrakis properly. Being the pragmatic man I am, I don't care about him anymore. It's brutal for him, but that's the way it is. Then, when I discover Feyd-Rautha, he almost falls in love with Feyd because he sees an incredible cruelty. He's almost outsmarted by him and out-bastarded by him. It is very good. Having to play with Austin Butler is a true pleasure. He had my own voice. He had learned it. He has learned it from films he's seen, and when I first came on the set and he talked to me, I said, "Is it an echo here? Am I hearing myself?"

He's absolutely incredible in this film and disappears completely into the role now. What did you want to bring to the Baron that went beyond the page?

Stellan Skarsgård: I didn't want to bring anything more to the Baron. The thing is that the less you know about him, in a way, the better it is. If he would've been in several scenes, he wouldn't have been half as dangerous. So, you had to minimize him and make sure that he was really terrifying, and that stamp was put on the film and continued all over every scene for the rest of the film.

Denis is an incredible filmmaker. Can you talk about working with him this time around and what you took away from this experience?

Stellan Skarsgård: It was fantastic how pleasant it was, and how much he enjoys making film. And he has planned it well, but he hasn't planned it so well that he executes only what he's done at home at his desk. He improvises, and he sees things, and he gets excited by things, and you get excited because he's excited. It is very, very lovely.

About Dune: Part 2

Austin Butler ghostly pale and gazing blank faced from the shadows in a dramatic scene from Dune: Part Two

“Dune: Part Two” will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a path of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family.

Check out our other Dune: Part 2 interviews:

Dune: Part 2 debuts exclusively in theaters on March 1.

Source: Screen Rant Plus