2021 marked a big milestone for Florence Pugh’s acting career, as she finally debuted as Yelena Belova in the Black Widow movie and reprised the role at the end of the year in Disney+’s Hawkeye series. It stands to reason we’ll be seeing much more of Pugh in the Marvel Cinematic Universe in the years to come, but today brings word that she may join another major cinematic property, as Pugh is being eyed for a key role in Dune: Part Two.
Florence Pugh is in negotiations to join the movie adapting the second half of Frank Herbert’s original Dune novel, and THR has heard she’d play Princess Irulan Corrino if a deal is reached. Assuming this happens, Pugh would be the first new actor to officially join Dune: Part Two, since so far the sequel’s lineup consists of returning cast members like Timothée Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Ferguson, Javier Bardem and Josh Brolin. Denis Villeneuve is also resuming his directing, writing and producing duties on the next Dune movie.
For those who haven’t read the Dune novel, Princess Irulan Corrino is the daughter Emperor Shaddam Corrino IV, ruler of the Known Universe at the time the book’s events take place. I won’t get into spoilers for those who want to go into Dune: Part Two as fresh as possible, but her importance grows beyond just the initial story that launched this sprawling sci-fi world. Virginia Madsen played Irulan in David Lynch’s Dune movie, and Julie Cox brought her to life in the then-Sci-Fi Channel’s Dune and Children of Dune miniseries.
THR also mentioned in its writeup that there are several big obstacles stand in the way of Florence Pugh joining Dune: Part Two. First, Florence Pugh is waiting to read the latest draft of the sequel’s script before reaching any kind of decision. Secondly, there may be scheduling conflicts to consider. In addition to already being part of the stacked cast of Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Pugh is being looked at to star in the Madonna biopic, and it’s unclear if that project could end up shooting this summer like Part Two is expected to do. That said, like its predecessor, the Dune sequel is expected to roll cameras in Ukraine, but given the current conflict in that region, that may understandably impact such plans.
Whether Florence Pugh ends up playing Princess Irulan Corrino or not, this is reportedly one of three big roles that the Dune: Part Two team is casting, the other two being the Emperor himself and Feyd-Rautha, the other nephew of the sinister Baron Vladimir Harkonnen. While there’s no word yet on any of the actors being officially considered to play those characters, fans have suggested actors like Robert Pattinson and Bill Skarsgård to play Feyd-Rautha, and Eternals and The Batman actor Barry Keoghan sounds like he’d be game to tackle the role.
As we move closer to Dune: Part Two’s October 20, 2023 release, CinemaBlend will keep sharing updates on the sequel’s progress, including if Florence Pugh officially signs onto it. Until then, there are many upcoming 2022 movies that will keep you entertained on the theatrical and streaming fronts.
