One of the main characters from Frank Herbert’s Dune that we didn’t see in Denis Villenueve’s Dune: Part 1 was Princess Irulan, the daughter of Emperor Shaddam IV (another major character we’ll see in Part 2 along with the Baron Harkonnen’s most cunning nephew, Feyd-Rautha).
According to Deadline and The Hollywood Reporter, we might know who will be portraying Princess Irulan on-screen: Black Widow and Hawkeye’s Florence Pugh is apparently in talks with Legendary for the part.
This isn’t a done deal quite yet, as both trades are clear to point out. Pugh seems to be the choice of the studio’s, however, and is waiting to get a copy of the script once it’s finished (that’s right, it’s not finished…yet!)
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There are things that could make this casting decision not happen, of course—one issue being scheduling. To make Part Two’s premiere date of October 20, 2023, the production is scheduled to start filming this summer. This may be tough for Pugh, as she’s currently filming Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer and is also contender to star in the upcoming Madonna biopic.
If Pugh does become Irulan, she’ll be joining Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, and Javier Bardem in the sequel. Part Two will also need to cast the Emperor and Feyd-Rautha (as well as the young and creepy Alia Atreides, right?) in just a few short months, so here’s hoping we get more Dune casting news soon.
Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part One premiered to critical and commercial success this fall and earned over $400 million worldwide. Legendary and Warner Bros. greenlit Dune: Part Two soon after, which will cover the second half of Herbert’s 1965 novel. You can currently watch Dune: Part One by renting or buying it digitally—or watch on an airplane, if that’s a thing you do these days.
