A couple months ago, I watched the hit Netflix movie BIRD BOX, which seems to be a divisive one among the many people who have watched it. I enjoyed it, but I was baffled by one thing: at one point in the movie, David Dastmalchian showed up as a threatening man wielding a gun, but was given no lines and only a couple minutes of screen time. Why would you cast Dastmalchian in a role that didn't require a recognizable actor, since he was given nothing to work with?
Thankfully, it sounds like Denis Villeneuve will be giving Dastmalchian something to do in his upcoming adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel DUNE. The actor has been added to the cast and will be taking on the role of Piter De Vries, a character described as being "a twisted Mentat, a human trained to perform mental functions rivaling computers." Brad Dourif played Piter De Vries in David Lynch's 1984 version of DUNE.
Written by Eric Roth, Jon Spaihts, and Villeneuve, this DUNE stars Timothee Chalamet as
Paul Atreides, whose family assumes control of the desert planet Arrakis. As the only producer of a highly valuable resource, jurisdiction over Arrakis is contested among competing noble families. After Paul and his family are betrayed, the story explores themes of politics, religion, and man’s relationship with nature, as Paul leads a rebellion to restore his family’s reign.
Chalamet and Dastmalchian's co-stars include Rebecca Ferguson as Paul's mother Lady Jessica, Oscar Isaac as his father Duke Leto Atreides, Stellan Skarsgard as the villainous Baron Harkonnen, Dave Bautista as Harkonnen's brutish nephew Glossu Rabban, Charlotte Rampling as the emperor's truthsayer Reverend Mother Mohiam, Javier Bardem as helpful tribe leader Stilgar, Josh Brolin as troubadour-swordsman Gurney Halleck, Jason Momoa as swordmaster Duncan Idaho, and Zendaya as Chani Kynes, "the girl of Paul's dreams".
Set to start filming soon in Budapest and Jordan, DUNE is being produced by Villeneuve, Mary Parent, and Cale Boyter, with Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Thomas Tull, and Kim Herbert serving as executive producers, and Kevin J. Anderson on board as creative consultant.
The film is scheduled to reach theatres on November 20, 2020.
Dastmalchian made his big screen debut playing "Joker's Thug" in THE DARK KNIGHT and has gone on to appear in such films as HORSEMEN, SUSHI GIRL, PRISONERS, THE BELKO EXPERIMENT, ANT-MAN, ANT-MAN AND THE WASP, and BLADE RUNNER 2049.