One Of Dune: Part Two's Creepier Moments Was Improvised By Austin Butler
Denis Villeneuve's new hit film "Dune: Part Two" sees the rise of a villain not glimpsed in "Dune: Part One." In the film, the evil Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), having lost faith in his nephew Rabban (Dave Bautista) and his ability to exterminate the Fremen on Arrakis, turns to his far more sociopathic, aggressive nephew Feyd-Rautha (Austin Butler), a young man with no remorse and a murderous streak a mile wide. A large section of "Dune: Part Two" is devoted to describing Feyd's horrible evil, with several Bene Gesserit witches noting that he can only be controlled through flattery and sexuality, not conscience. Feyd is a violent, walking id, and the film ultimately culminates in a knife fight between him and the Messianic Paul Atreaides (Timothée Chalamet).
In David Lynch's eccentric 1984 "Dune" adaptation, rock star Sting played Feyd, and there is a notorious scene wherein Sting emerges from a bizarre, sci-fi steam bath wearing nothing but leather bikini bottoms with weird hip wings. In that scene, the Baron (Kenneth McMillan) looks at his nephew with unbridled incestuous lust. In Lynch's version of the story, the Baron doesn't just have faith in Feyd's ruthlessness but also clearly favors him for sexual reasons.
In Villeneuve's "Dune: Part Two," the incest angle is erased. Instead, the baron's concubines are all women, and his affection for Feyd is purely political.
... Except for one scene wherein Feyd kisses the Baron. Late in the film, when Feyd had risen to power, he parts from his uncle, but not before laying one right on his mouth. This, it seems, wasn't in Villeneueve and Jon Spaihts' script. That moment was improvised by Butler. In a red-carpet interview with Access Hollywood, the "Elvis" actor expressed gratitude that Skarsgård went along with it.
'He's game for anything'
In "Dune: Part Two," Feyd looks to his evil uncle for inspiration and even goes so far as to imitate him. As such, Butler affected a voice and cadence similar to Skarsgård's. Indeed, in Villeneuve' 's vision, Feyd may be the one who is incestuously attracted to the Baron. Or, at the very least, in the Baron's ability to wield power.
The Access Hollywood correspondent, Emily Orozco, asked Butler about the scene wherein the actor kissed Skarsgård on the lips, having just learned that it was improvised. Butler replied modestly, saying, "[The kiss] with Stellan Skarsgård? Oh yeah! He's game for anything. He's the best."
Skarsgård, having appeared in several of Lars Von Trier's movies, including "Breaking the Waves," "Dancer in the Dark," "Dogville," "Melancholia," and "Nymphomaniac," likely isn't easily surprised and willing to roll with intense improvisation like suddenly being kissed. Indeed, if one looks closely in the scene, they'll see that Skarsgård kissed Butler back. He just rolled with it.
Orozco asked if Butler likes to shock his co-stars. Butler, in a very actorly way, replied, "It's always about how you're trying to affect somebody else." Butler likely wasn't thinking that he wanted to be provocative but was merely getting deep into character. The kiss seemed like something Feyd would do. It's even less likely that Butler wanted to deliberately surprise his co-star, likely knowing the breadth and depth of Skarsgård's immense acting career.
Without revealing too much, neither Feyd nor the Baron appears in Frank Herbert's sequel "Dune Messiah." However in one of Herbert's sequels, "Children of Dune," Baron Harkonnen seems to possess the consciousness of his granddaughter. The Baron may yet return.
Feyd's future in the Dune universe
There is no word yet as to whether or not Villeneuve will actually make a film adaptation of "Dune Messiah," but he has already expressed interest. Indeed, if Villeneuve wanted to immerse himself in "Dune" for the rest of his career — very much the same way James Cameron has said he only wants to make "Avatar" sequels for the rest of his — many fans wouldn't be upset. Herbert wrote six "Dune" novels from 1965 through 1985, providing Villeneuve with literary fodder to last for as many as 10 additional films.
And then, were Villeneuve so inclined, he could then make multiple film adaptations of the "Dune" prequel novels authored by Herbert's son Brian Herbert and sci-fi novel veteran Keving J. Anderson beginning in 1999. As one might intuit, Feyd-Rautha plays a role in those novels, and readers get to see the circumstances of the character's birth. Naturally, Feyd's parentage and the Bene Gesserit's manipulation of it provide the story with a great deal of complex intrigue. In other words, if Villeneuve — or any other filmmaker — gets around to adapting the Brian Herbert/Anderson books to the big screen, Feyd would have to be played by a baby. Austin Butler is likely out of the picture for good.
All told, there are 17 books in the ever-expanding "Dune" series, with the most recent, "The Heir of Caladan" (the third part of a Caladan-set trilogy), having been published at the end of 2022.
As of this writing, one of the Brian Herbert/Kevin J. Anderson books — 2012's "The Sisterhood of Dune" — is being adapted into a 2024 TV series called "Dune: Prophecy." The upcoming show is being produced by Villeneuve and will take place 10,000 years before the events of "Dune: Part One."