Looking to take a crack at the trophy for Best Cast 2019, Dune director Denis Villeneuve just keeps lining up the award-winning, talented and downright fascinating folks for his take on the Frank Herbert sci-fi saga. The latest actor now in talks to take part? Javier Bardem.
Herbert's story kicks off in his 1965 first book, simply titled Dune, a far-future drama of warring noble families vying to rule over space travel and supplies. When the Atreides family wrangles control of the sandy globe, only to be betrayed by the Emperor and other powerful houses, scion Paul ((Timothée Chalamet) has to flee into the harsh desert terrain along with his mother Lady Jessica (Rebecca Ferguson). There, they meet the native Fremen, and Paul, as part of a prophecy, rises to be a religious leader among them. Bardem, assuming he finally signs on, would be Stilgar, leader of the Fremen when Paul arrives.
It's getting to the point where it'll be easier to list people who aren't in this one. In addition to Chalamet and Ferguson, we also have Stellan Skarsgård, Charlotte Rampling and Dave Bautista aboard, while Oscar Isaac and Zendaya are at different stages of talks.
Villeneuve aims to start shooting in Budapest and Jordan this spring. Bardem has thriller Everybody Knows due here on 8 March.
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