Real Reason Why Austin Butler Got His ‘Dune: Part 2’ Role Will Blow Your Mind After Casting Director Reveals His ‘Elvis’ Role Didn’t Do the Trick
Dune: Part Two has been one of the most successful films of 2024 with its star-studded cast and epic sci-fi storyline. Among the cast members, Austin Butler, who played the psychotic villain Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, was one of the newcomers to the franchise.
How Butler grabbed this much-wanted role is pretty unexpected. It turns out his theater background played a much bigger part than anyone realized. It’s quite astonishing how the young actor went from Broadway to battling it out in the sands of Arrakis.
Theater Paved the Way for Austin Butler’s Dune Debut
It might be a common belief among fans that Austin Butler landed his Dune role due to his critically acclaimed performance as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s film. After all, that’s what gave him the biggest boost of his career. However, that’s not how it went down.
When someone lands a big movie role, people probably imagine actors showing off their impressive film resumes. But for Austin Butler, it was his work on stage that caught the eye of Dune: Part Two‘s casting director, Francine Maisler.
Maisler recently revealed at the Karlovy Vary International Film Festival (via Deadline) that Butler didn’t get the Dune role because of Elvis, as that movie wasn’t even finished when they were casting. Instead, it was his theater work in New York that sealed the deal. Talking about the casting of big names, Maisler clearly mentioned, “It’s not about who’s hot, who’s popular.“
Butler’s Broadway debut in The Iceman Cometh back in 2018 was a game-changer. He shared the stage with Hollywood legend Denzel Washington. Critics loved his performance, praising how he brought emotional depth to his character.
This is pretty significant considering the rest of the Dune: Part Two cast. Actors like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, and Florence Pugh all had major movie credits under their belts, and others like Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, and even Dave Bautista to some extent, were the veterans of the movie industry.
It just goes to show that sometimes it’s not about having the longest list of movie credits. Butler’s dedication to his craft and ability to shine on stage among big names proved he had what it takes to handle a complex character like Feyd-Rautha.
Austin Butler’s Villainous Transformation for Dune: Part Two
Butler’s move from a Broadway performer to playing a bald, psychotic space villain wasn’t easy, but he took the challenge positively. First off, he knew he couldn’t approach this role the same way he did Elvis. He told the Los Angeles Times,
I’ve definitely in the past, with ‘Elvis,’ explored living within that world for three years and that being the only thing that I think about day and night. With Feyd, I knew that that would be unhealthy for my family and friends.
Instead of going full method, Butler set boundaries for himself. This actually allowed him to go deeper into the character without losing himself in the process. It’s like he found a way to flip the villain switch on and off between takes.
To get into Feyd’s corrupt mindset, Butler asked himself some tough questions. He tried to figure out why Feyd acts the way he does and how growing up with the brutal Baron Harkonnen shaped him. This led to the development of Feyd’s unique voice and mannerisms.
Butler also drew inspiration from other iconic villains. In an interview with NME, he revealed that Gary Oldman’s performances in movies like Léon: The Professional and The Fifth Element were his big influences. He also mentioned Heath Ledger, saying it was the actor’s sensibility that inspired him.
I’ve always been inspired by Gary Oldman in many of his roles. Léon: The Professional, or True Romance, or The Fifth Element..And you know, we’ve talked about Heath Ledger a lot, the sense of play that he had. And like I say, it’s not the specific things, but it’s more general inspiration.
His physical transformation was intense too. Butler wore a bald cap and black teeth, turning himself into the creepy character. While talking to People, director Denis Villeneuve described Butler’s portrayal as “a cross between a sword master and Mick Jagger.“
Villeneuve praised Butler’s performance, saying that Butler appeared possessed the moment the camera was turned on. However, he further joked that Butler removed himself enough in between the takes that he didn’t kill anybody on set.
Dune: Part Two is now available on Prime Video, Max, and AppleTV.
