Christopher Walken will play the Emperor in Dune: Part Two

By Blair Marnell Published May 12, 2022

Because director Denis Villeneuve decided to split Frank Herbert’s Dune into two movies, audiences have yet to meet Shaddam IV, Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, and the man who betrayed House Atreides to their greatest enemies, House Harkonnen. In David Lynch’s 1984 adaptation of Dune, the Emperor was portrayed by José Ferrer. Now, Deadline is reporting that veteran actor Christopher Walken will play Emperor Shaddam IV in Dune: Part Two.

Walken’s career in Hollywood spans more than five decades and includes roles in Annie Hall, The Deer Hunter, The Dead Zone, A View To a Kill, True Romance, Pulp Fiction, and many more. Walken has also recently starred in two streaming shows: The Outlaws and Severance.

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Florence Pugh was recently linked to the role of Shaddam IV’s daughter, Princess Irulan. However, that final casting has not yet been confirmed. The other major addition for the sequel is Austin Butler as the malevolent Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.

Christopher Walken in The Outlaws. — Image used with permission by copyright holder

Timothée Chalamet will reprise his role as Paul Atreides, the last heir of House Atreides. He will be joined by Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Zendaya as Chani, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar, Stellan Skarsgård as Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and Dave Bautista as Beast Rabban Harkonnen.

Dune: Part One was able to amass $400 million worldwide despite a simultaneous release on HBO Max. That’s why Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment were so quick to green light the sequel. Villeneuve is currently writing the script and the sequel is expected to begin filming this fall.

Warner Bros. will release Dune: Part Two into theaters on October 20, 2023.

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Blair Marnell has been an entertainment journalist for over 15 years. His bylines have appeared in Wizard Magazine, Geek…

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3 reasons why Dune: Part Two is better than Dune: Part One

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In retrospect, the decision to push back the release of Dune: Part Two has paid off magnificently for Warner Bros. and Legendary Entertainment. Rather than risking the chance of the actors not being able to promote the film because of the SAG-AFTRA strike, the studios delayed the sequel to March, and it has subsequently doubled the opening weekend numbers of Dune: Part One.

Of course, it helps that Dune: Part Two wasn't released simultaneously on streaming like its predecessor was. But that's not the only cause for Part Two's dramatic increase. Keep reading for the three reasons why Dune: Part Two is better than Dune: Part One, and then race out to theaters to see this sequel on the biggest screen you can.
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After several years of hype and anticipation, Dune is back. Denis Villeneuve's mammoth adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel of the same name has gotten the sequel treatment, and Dune: Part 2 is receiving many of the same plaudits and praise that Part 1 received when it was released in 2021. It grossed over $80 million in its opening weekend, and is on the path to outdo its predecessor.

Now that we have two parts to compare, though, the natural question is which is better. While Part 2 is certainly more action forward, and a lot of the setup from Part 1 is paid off in the sequel, here are some reasons why Part 1 may still be the better movie.
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