After working together on BLADE RUNNER 2049, it seems that Denis Villeneuve and Dave Bautista will be reuniting for the upcoming reboot of DUNE. According to Variety and Deadline, Bautista has joined the cast of the upcoming film but they don't get into the exact nature of his role. Thankfully, THR has added that the actor will be playing Glossu "Beast" Rabban, the sadistic nephew of a baron who oversees Arrakis.
Denis Villenneuve's DUNE will star Timothée Chalamet (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME) as Paul Atreides and Rebecca Ferguson (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT) as his mother, Lady Jessica. The story is "set in the far future involving worlds beyond Earth, ruled over by competing feudal families who control access to a drug called Melange. Known popularly as 'spice,' the drug gives its users heightened consciousness and an extended lifespan at the cost of crippling addiction and fatal withdrawal. Spice, use of which makes interstellar travel possible, is found only on the desert planet of Arrakis — aka 'Dune' — and as such is the most valuable commodity in the galaxy." The director's plans for DUNE certainly seem quite ambitious, as he's previously said that he hopes to make DUNE into the STAR WARS movie he never saw. "Most of the main ideas of Star Wars are coming from Dune so it’s going to be a challenge to [tackle] this," Villeneuve said. "The ambition is to do the Star Wars movie I never saw. In a way, it’s Star Wars for adults. We’ll see." The director has also said that his goal is to make DUNE into "two films, maybe more," which would certainly be a good way to ensure Herbert's dense story isn't cut into a million pieces.
Dave Bautista will next be reprising his role of Drax in AVENGERS: ENDGAME on April 26, 2019.