Denis Villeneuve’s Dune looks to add Javier Bardem to its growing cast

Last Updated on July 30, 2021

I'm beginning to run out of ways to express my enthusiasm for the cast of Denis Villeneuve's DUNE because it's just becoming an embarrassment of riches at this point. It has been reported that the latest addition to the expanding cast could be Javier Bardem (PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: DEAD MEN TELL NO TALES).

The actor is currently in negotiations to join the cast of DUNE, and if the deal takes, Bardem would play Stilgar, the leader of Arrakis' nomadic tribes known as the Fremen. Everett McGill (Twin Peaks) played the role in David Lynch's 1984 adaptation of the classic Frank Herbert novel. The film will follow Timothée Chalamet's (CALL ME BY YOUR NAME) Paul Atreides, a young man whose family assumes control of the desert planet of Arrakis, the only producer of the spice, a highly valuable and rare resource. The rest of the cast includes Oscar Isaac (STAR WARS: EPISODE IX) as Duke Leto Atreides, Paul's father, Rebecca Ferguson (MISSION: IMPOSSIBLE – FALLOUT) as Paul's mother, Lady Jessica, Stellan Skarsgard (THOR) as the villainous Baron Harkonnen, the leader of a family who previously ruled the planet of Arrakis and harbour a deep resentment towards the Atreides family, Dave Bautista (BLADE RUNNER 2049) as Glossu "Beast" Rabban, the sadistic nephew of Baron Harkonnen, Charlotte Rampling (RED SPARROW) as the Reverend Mother Mohiam, "the emperor’s truthsayer, a person who can divine intentions, suss out lies and manipulate people's emotional states." It was also recently revealed that Zendaya (SPIDER-MAN: FAR FROM HOME) was in early talks to join DUNE as Chani, a Fremen who becomes a love interest to Paul Atreides.

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." I can't wait this thing.