As it happened with the first part, Denis Villeneuve is worrying with Dunes: Part 2 to recruit a cast that excites the public (especially that of the Twitter sphere). That is why to complete his epic adaptation of the novel by Frank Herbert has been adding to the cast names like Austin Butler (nominated for oscar by Elvis), Tim Blake Nelson either Lea Seydoux as Lady Margota deadly Bene Gesserit.
But without a doubt the signing that has unleashed the most passions is that of Florence Pugh. The fashionable actress, nominated for an Oscar for little womenwhich in recent years has chained projects with an admirable intuition: from the Lady Macbeth that encumbered her, until midsummergoing through the convulsive Do not worry dear. In the case of Pugh, it also happens that her character is very special: she is Irulan Corrino.
the future empress
And who is Irulan Corrino? A main character in what remains to be adapted from Herbert’s novel. Irulan is the princess of the empire: the eldest of the five daughters of the Emperor Shaddam IV and his wife Anirul Corrino. Shaddam IV, as was hinted at in the previous film (now he will play it Christopher Walken), is the ruler of the universe. Irulan grew up in the court of the planet Kaitanthe imperial capital.
According to the book (and there is no reason to think this will be nuanced in the movies), Irulan is a very beautiful young woman with blonde hair and green eyes, who also possesses great intelligence and once briefly trained with the Bene Gesserit. , without actually entering the enigmatic formation that has lady jessica (Rebecca Ferguson) as a member.
What is your role in Dune? Well, Irulan Corrino is something like the official chronicler of Herbert’s history. That is to say, the novel is written in the third person by an omniscient narrator, but chains every so often a fragment of fictitious historical documents that Irulan herself has signed. Irulan is the one who documents the history of paul atreides (Timothée Chalamet) and the first lines we read in the novel are his.
This explains a detail that in its day puzzled the public, when David Lynch released his version of Dune in 1984. On that occasion it was Irulan Corrino who introduced us to history, telling us about the existence of the Empire, Arrakis and the rivalry Atreides/Harkonnens. I played Irulan Virginia Madson, and the problem was not only that he did not reappear until the end of the film; it is that the description that she then was going to marry Paul was most vague.
That’s how it is. Irulan is destined to marry Paul Atreides. In the Dune de Villeneuve that we have already seen, however, Irulan’s narration was replaced by that of chani: the native Fremen who interprets zendaya and that at the beginning he tells us about the exploitation of his planet. Which brings us to another unknown: Irulan, in the first Dune, appears very little. It is in the following novels where his importance grows.
Villeneuve has not been very clear about his intentions with Dune: surely he would love to continue adapting Herbert, but for now the plan with Warner is just to finish recreating the inaugural novel. Having signed a first-rate performer like Pugh for Irulan should mean that the importance of the character will grow in his adaptation; maybe she’ll show up earlier, maybe she’ll have a more worked-out relationship with Paul before the nuptials.
Or maybe none of this will happen. Zendaya is also a star and Villeneuve signed her to appear for just five minutes in Dune. It will appear much more in Dunes: Part 2, but may well do so to Pugh’s detriment. The movie opens this November 3.
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