The casting for the first part of Dune was quite an ensemble. The all-star cast included the likes of Timothée Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, and Josh Brolin. All of them will be returning for Dune Part 2, due next year.
But there are still a few other roles to cast. We’ve already got a taste of the expanded all-star line-up. One of the most notable recent additions was Christopher Walken. He’ll be playing the role of Emperor Shadam IV. Other new cast members include Florence Pugh (Black Widow) and Austin Butler (Elvis).
Now we’ve learned of another new addition. Via Deadline, it’s been confirmed that Souheila Yacoub (The Braves / No Man’s Land) has joined the Dune Part 2 cast. She’ll be playing the role of Shishakli, a leader of the Fremen forces. Her most recent role was in Gaspar Noé’s Climax.
As established in the first film and the original novel by Frank Herbert, the Fremen are the native people of the planet Arrakis. In Dune Part One, they are portrayed as being bitter towards the colonizers of their land. Paul Atreides and his mother escape from the assaulting forces of the Harokonens and seek refuge with the Fremen.
With the Fremen just starting to be explored in Part One, they’ll play a heavy role in Dune Part 2. Per the source material, Paul will lead the Fremen forces into battle against the Harokonen to reclaim Arrakis for its people. So we’ll be seeing a lot more of the Fremen to be sure.
Director Denis Villeneuve will be returning to direct once more as well as write and produce. Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Patrick McCormick will additionally be producing Dune Part 2.
The first part of Dune was successful enough to warrant a sequel. It would become a box office hit and an award-winning picture. It was even nominated for the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Dune Part 2 release date is October 20th, 2023 in theaters only.
