Dune: Part 2 has become the most successful film of 2024 so far. Denis Villeneuve’s titanic blockbuster has shown that science fiction is in one of the best moments in its history, and it is clear that Frank Herbert has finally achieved an adaptation of his work worthy of what it deserves. But was it all in Villeneuve’s head during filming?
Although each scene may seem tailor-made, you will be surprised to know that they are not. In fact, the most shocking—and, by the way, disgusting—scene in the movie was completely improvised. It is the kiss between Feyd-Rautha and his uncle, Baron Harkonnen, played respectively by Austin Butler and Stellan Skarsgård.
A shocking moment… even for the actors
As Butler himself explains in Access Hollywood, that moment was not in the script. The actor wanted to reaffirm his character’s intention to become his uncle, and even went so far as to imitate his voice to do so. But the kiss was the closure he needed to take that step. This is how he explains it:
“The kiss with Stellan Skarsgård? Oh, yes! He’s up for anything. He’s the best. Acting is always about how you try to affect the other person, and in this case I think it’s very well justified.”
Undoubtedly, after his great performance playing Elvis in the homonymous film, Austin Butler does not want to relax until becoming the new big reference star in Hollywood. He certainly has everything to be one, from beauty to commitment, and together with co-stars from Dune 2 such as Timothée Chalamet, Florence Pugh, and Zendaya, they are poised to become the new big stars of Hollywood.
