Christopher Walken to play Padishah Emperor

Actor Christopher Walken, known for his roles in “Catch Me If You Can” and “Rupture,” has joined the cast of “Dune Part 2” and will play the Padishah Emperor. Walken will play the character who is the Emperor of the Galaxy who summons the Atreides family to rule the planet Arrakis, better known as Dune, a political trap designed to undermine the power of the Atreides. The information was reported by the Deadline portal.

via @RollingStone

— DUNE (@dunemovie) May 12, 2022

_{Official Twitter account of the production announces Walken as Emperor Reproduction: (Twitter/@dunemovie)}

In addition to Walken, other names joining the cast include Florence Pugh who will play Princess Irulan, the Emperor's daughter, and Austin Butler will play Feyd Rautha, Baron Harkonnen's nephew and the film's main antagonist. Much of the cast from the first film will return for the sequel, including Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Josh Brolin, Jason Momoa and Stephen Skarsgard.

The sequel to the film promises to continue the story of Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet), on his journey across the planet of Arrakis as he allies with the Fremen to oppose Harkonnen rule and avenge his father's death. The work is based on the book “Dune” written by Frank Herbert. Denis Villeneuve, who returns as director, said in an interview with Empire Magazine that he intends to give greater prominence to Chani (Zendaya) and the Harkonnen villains, exploring the antagonism that exists with the Atreides.

The first film had a budget of $165 million and grossed $400 million at the box office, with a sequel announced shortly after its release. The film received 10 Oscar nominations and won 6 awards, including Best Cinematography and Best Visual Effects. According to the director, the sequel will begin filming in September 2022. The film is scheduled for release on October 20, 2023. The film is currently available on the HBO Max streaming platform.

Featured Photo: Christopher Walken/Getty Images