Dune: Part Two has found its universe-ruling Emperor Shaddam IV in Christopher Walken.
Returning director Denis Villeneuve is primed and ready to call 'ACTION!' on the sequel this summer, welcoming other cast newbies in the form of Florence Pugh (Black Widow) and Austin Butler (Once Upon a Time in Hollywood).
Walken, an Oscar winner in the late '70s, appeared as Burt in Apple TV+'s Severance earlier this year, but Dune is his biggest job for a long time – and not just because it'll feature skyscraper-sized sand worms.
Related: Robert Pattinson wants to appear in Dune: Part Two
Deadline broke the news of the legend's involvement, while Villeneuve himself previously teased what's in store for fans this time around.
"When you adapt [books], you have to make bold choices in order for the things to come to life. And I think that was the best way to introduce this world to a wide audience. Now in the second one, I want to have more flexibility, and it will be possible to go a little bit deeper into some of these details.
"It's like a chess game. 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," the Blade Runner 2049 filmmaker confirmed.
Related: Dune ending explained: How does it set up Part Two?
Even more tantalisingly, the movie's co-writer Jon Spaihts has suggested we could end up with a Dune trilogy by the time they're finished with author Frank Herbert's series.
Dune: Part Two arrives in cinemas on October 20, 2023.
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Dan is a freelance entertainment journalist. Beginning his writing career in 2014, Dan's work first graced the pages of cult publications Starburst magazine and Little White Lies before moving onto Total Film, Digital Spy, NME and Yahoo Entertainment.
In the film and TV universe, he kneels at the altar of Jim Carrey, Daniel Plainview, Mike Ehrmantraut and Paulie Walnuts.
