Austin Butler in talks to play Timothée Chalamet's opposite number in Dune: Part Two

Last year's Dune only brought the first half of Frank Herbert's iconic sci-fi novel to the big screen, thereby saving some pivotal characters for Dune: Part Two. But now the casting process for the sequel has begun in earnest, and EW has learned that Austin Butler is in very early negotiations to play the key role of Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen.

The Harkonnens loom large over Dune, but if you've only seen director Denis Villeneuve's 2021 film you might assume every member of that noble family is as pale and hairless as the Baron (Stellan Skarsgård) or his nephew Glossu Rabban (Dave Bautista). Not so! The Baron has an ace up his sleeve in the form of another nephew, Feyd-Rautha, who's just as handsome and capable as Paul Atreides (Timothée Chalamet). That's the role Butler is in talks for, which would present him as the biggest rival and opposite number of Paul.

After all, the galactic ruler known as the Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV (another of the key roles yet to be cast) has no sons, only daughters (such as Princess Irulan, a role Florence Pugh is currently in talks for). So there's a lot of opportunity in this galaxy for a young prince eager to make a grab for power.

Butler first started acting as a teenager on Nickelodeon and Disney Channel shows in the early 2000s, but more recently scored a breakout film role as Manson family member Tex Watson in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. He has since been cast as Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann's upcoming biopic about the King. It's a long way from Memphis to Giedi Prime, but Butler certainly looks like a star on the rise.

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

Related content:

• Florence Pugh in talks to play Princess Irulan in Dune: Part Two
• At home with the Harkonnens: Meet the villains of Dune
• See Austin Butler shake, rattle, and roll in first trailer for Baz Luhrmann's Elvis