Denis Villeneuve has been busy building an eclectic, impressive cast for his adaptation of Frank Herbert's sprawling sci-fi tale Dune. And he's adding one more name, with Stellan Skarsgård landing a deal to play the villainous Baron Harkonnen.
Dune sees the fallen noble Atreides family struggling to maintain control of the planet Arrakis, home to rare, vital export spice drug. Betrayed by the galactic emperor, they're assassinated, with eldest son Paul forced to flee into the desert. There, he teams up with nomadic locals, eventually becoming their leader. Baron Harkonnen's family once ruled Arrakis, and plots against the new owners.
Timothee Chalamet is on to play Paul, with Rebecca Ferguson as his mother. Dave Bautista, meanwhile, will the Baron's brutish nephew, Glossou "Beast" Rabban.
With a script by Villeneuve, Eric Roth and Jon Spaihts, the film is looking to start shooting this spring in Budapest and Jordan.
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