The Oscar-nominated actress from “Little Women” and “Black Widow” is in talks to join the cast of “Dune: Part 2,” the sequel to the critically praised and commercially successful (for a pandemic) “Dune.” Pugh will portray Princess Irulan Corrino, a princess who gets romantically involved with Timothée Chalamet’s Paul Atreides, if the agreement goes through. It’s a crucial position, and one that might expand as “Dune” expands farther into writer Frank Herbert’s literary canon.
The sequel is anticipated to begin filming this summer, with a release date set for October 20, 2023. Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Stellan Skarsgrd, Dave Bautista, Zendaya, and Javier Bardem are among the cast members who return from the first film. Denis Villeneuve, who is credited with adapting an unadaptable text into something cinematic and understandable, returns as director. Look no farther than David Lynch’s justly chastised 1984 adaptation of the same source material for an example of how badly these things may go.
“Dune” earned approximately $400 million worldwide and received ten Academy Award nominations, including best film and best adapted screenplay. Villeneuve was overlooked for the best director award, which caused significant controversy.
Pugh recently appeared in the Disney Plus series “Hawkeye,” reprising her role as Yelena Romanoff. She will soon be featured in Christopher Nolan’s “Oppenheimer,” alongside Cillian Murphy, Emily Blunt, and Matt Damon, as well as Olivia Wilde’s “Don’t Worry Darling” and Sebastián Lelio’s “The Wonder.”