Elvis Director Baz Luhrmann Reacts to Austin Butler's Dune Part 2 Look

By Jenna Anderson

We're gradually getting closer to the debut of Dune: Part Two, the highly-anticipated sequel to 2020's Dune. The blockbuster will be adding some new faces to its epic civil war on Arrakis, including Academy Award nominee Austin Butler as Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen. Through the film's footage screening at last month's CinemaCon, and then through first-look photos released by Vanity Fair, we now know that Butler's take on the character will be unique, as he will be sporting a bald head. In a new interview with Variety at the 2023 Met Gala, Baz Luhrmann, who recently directed Butler in Elvis, shared his own personal reaction to the new hairdo. 

"He might've snapped me a few snaps of him bald-headed earlier on," Luhrmann revealed. "But I only saw the one from behind, what I thought was 'terrifying.' What I also thought was 'It's so brave of him to take on such a radically-different character from Elvis. It's a cleansing of the creative pallate."

What is Dune: Part Two about?

Dune: Part Two will explore the mythic journey of Paul Atreides (Timothee Chalamet) as he unites with Chani and the Fremen while on a warpath of revenge against the conspirators who destroyed his family. Facing a choice between the love of his life and the fate of the known universe, he endeavors to prevent a terrible future only he can foresee."

The film is expected to also see the return of Zendaya as Chani, Rebecca Ferguson as Lady Jessica, Josh Brolin as Gurney Halleck, Javier Bardem as Stilgar. New characters will include Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan, and Christopher Walker playing Emperor Shaddam IV.

"[We] really try to dig into the humanity of [the character]. It's that thing of the bad guy in the world doesn't feel like he's the bad guy," Butler explained in an interview late last year. "He feels like he's the hero of his own story. And that can be a hard thing with certain characters; with others, it's easier, but you have to not judge the character, and you have to find a way to feel the motivation towards anyone of your actions. So, we had a lot of conversations and crafted that together."

"Denis is so thoughtful, he doesn't miss anything, and his attention to detail is remarkable," he said. "Denis is amazing; he's such an incredible director. The energy on his sets is amazing, everyone trusts him so much, and it's such a well-oiled machine, and he's a master of the craft."

Are you excited to see Dune: Part 2? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

Dune: Part 2 is currently scheduled to be released on November 3rd.

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