Dune Part Two: Souheila Yacoub joins the cast as Shishakli

Dune: Part Two, the second half of director Denis Villeneuve‘s two-part adaptation of the Frank Herbert novel Dune, is expected to go into production this fall, and is aiming for a November 17, 2023 theatrical release. In recent months, Villeneuve has been building up the film’s cast, bringing in the likes of Lea Seydoux, Florence Pugh, Christopher Walken, and Austin Butler. And now we can add another new cast member to the list: Souheila Yacoub, whose previous credits include the mini-series Savages, the Hulu series No Man’s Land, and the French films The Salt of Tears, The Braves, A Brighter Tomorrow, En corps, and Gaspar Noé’s Climax.

Deadline first reported Yacoub’s casting, and Collider confirmed it, adding that Yacoub will be playing the character Shishakli. According to the Dune Wiki, in Herbert’s novel Shishakli was “a Fremen from Sietch Tabr during the time of Paul Atreides. When the time came for Paul’s sandrider trial, Shishakli gave Paul his own maker hooks to use, since Paul did not have any of his own.”

Scripted by Villeneuve, Eric Roth, and Jon Spaihts, Dune: Part One stars Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, “a brilliant and gifted young man born into a great destiny beyond his understanding” who

must travel to the most dangerous planet in the universe to ensure the future of his family and his people. As malevolent forces explode into conflict over the planet’s exclusive supply of the most precious resource in existence – a commodity capable of unlocking humanity’s greatest potential – only those who can conquer their fear will survive.

Chalamet and Dune: Part One co-stars Rebecca Ferguson, Zendaya, Javier Bardem, and Josh Brolin are coming back for Part Two.

Villeneuve and Spaihts have written the screenplay for Dune: Part Two. Villeneuve is also producing the film with Mary Parent, Cale Boyter, Tanya Lapointe, and Patrick McCormick. Spaihts serves as executive producer alongside Josh Grode, Herbert W. Gains, Brian Herbert, Byron Merritt, Kim Herbert, Thomas Tull, Richard P. Rubinstein, and John Harrison. Kevin J. Anderson is creative consultant.

I’m not familiar with Souheila Yacoub’s previous work, so I can’t really comment on her joining the cast of Dune: Part Two. For Dune fans who have seen Yacoub in other things, what do you think of her being added to this project? Let us know by laving a comment below.