Pre-shooting on Dune: Part Two has begun in Italy and now a new set photo has emerged giving fans their first look at Black Widow star Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan Corrino. The photo, which was shared on social media earlier this week (you can see it here), isn’t the best quality but does give some basic idea of how Pugh will look in the eagerly anticipated follow up to 2021’s Dune. Production on Dune: Part Two is expected to officially begin in Budapest, Hungary on July 21st.
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It was reported earlier this year that Pugh was in talks to join Dune as Princess Irulan, the eldest daughter of Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV. In the novels, Irulan eventually becomes the wife of Paul Atreides, playing an important role in the saga.
“It’s going to be another beautiful journey in the desert again,” filmmaker Denis Villeneuve previously explained. “It’s the journey where Paul Atreides and his mother, Lady Jessica, make contact with the Fremen culture and meet with the Fremen. It’s Paul’s journey against the enemy โฆ it’s a movie that will be more cinematic.”
Pugh is joined in the film by Timothรฉe Chalamet, Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Stellan Skarsgรฅrd, Dave Bautista, and Josh Brolin, who are all returning from the first film. Dune: Part Two will also see Christopher Walken, Lรฉa Seydoux, and Austin Butler join the cast.
Ahead of the release ofย Dune,ย the filmmaking team made it clear that the film would only adapt the first halfย of the Frank Herbert novel, with this upcoming sequel set to conclude the adventure. Writer Jon Spaihts previously revealed, however, that talks have already happened of potentially developing the bookย Dune Messiahย into a film, completing a live-action trilogy.
“Dune Messiahย is the next book, and it’s one of three books withย Dune,ย Dune Messiah, andย Children of Dune, that covers the lives of the characters we meet in the first novel,” Spaihtsย explained toย The Playlistย earlier this year. “Subsequently, there’s a giant leap in time and the series gets stranger and more epic as it carries on. Butย Dune Messiahย picks up years after the close ofย Dune, and yes, Denis has talked seriously about making that film as well, as a conclusion of the trilogy.ย Dune Messiahย is a very interesting book, which in some ways, deconstructsย Duneย and plays as a cautionary tale, even more thanย Duneย does, about the dangers of blending religion and politics, the hazards of following charismatic leaders, and the dangerous struggle that’s always alive between the individual and institutions.”
Dune: Part Two is scheduled to open in theaters on November 17, 2023.