Among its other assets, The Batman completes an unlikely career ascent for actor Robert Pattinson. The one-time star of the Twilight movies turned his back on bigger projects once that franchise was complete in favor of edgier independent fare like Cosmopolis and The Lighthouse. The Batman marked a return to blockbuster moviemaking, and his brooding, nihilistic Bruce Wayne made a strong impression amid a wealth of brilliant takes on the character.
Now he’s indicated a desire to appear in the sequel/follow-up to Denis Villeneuve’s Dune, and while casting for new parts in the follow-up hasn’t been finalized, it’s an enticing fit. Warner Bros can’t help but be happy with the response to both The Batman and the first part of Dune, making Pattinson’s entry into the science-fiction epic easy to approve. Even better, casting has not yet been announced on a vital role that would fit him like a glove: Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen, the psychotic nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen.
Who Is Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen in Dune?
The Harkonnens are the primary antagonists in Frank Herbert’s original novel: cruel and heartless, given over to temporal power and their own ghastly appetites. Feyd-Rautha was the younger nephew of Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, and in many ways the polar opposite of the story’s protagonist, Paul Atreides. Like Paul, Feyd was the product of genetic manipulation over the course of centuries by the Bene-Gesserit. They intended for him to marry an Atreides daughter — ending the rivalry between the two houses — but Paul’s mother Lady Jessica destroyed those plans when she chose to have a son.
The Baron adopted Feyd and wanted to make him his heir, since his elder nephew “The Beast” Glossu Rabban (played by Dave Bautista in the current Dune) displayed less aptitude for the novel’s cutthroat political games. He was as sadistic and cruel as the other Harkonnens, but his cunning and immense physical skills made him far more dangerous than his kin. The Baron planned to install him as ruler of Arrakis after a period of deliberate misrule by The Beast, thus making him appear as a benevolent savior to the galaxy. Paul ended those schemes by killing Feyd in a duel as his Fremen took control of the planet, cementing his ascent to the Emperor’s throne.
Why Robert Pattinson Would Make the Ideal Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen
Feyd-Rautha has been played twice before (including musician Sting’s take on the role), but the specifics of his role in the galaxy’s affairs were diminished in those versions. Villeneuve hedged his bets a bit by omitting him from the first film, which would leave fewer hanging plot threads in the event Warner Bros. declined to greenlight a follow-up. That leaves the sequel with a good deal of ground to cover to get Paul’s most fearsome physical opponent up to speed.
Pattinson has the physical presence and easy grace that the character requires to present a threat. He’s smaller and slighter than Batista, lending the impression that he’s less dangerous. Yet as he shows in The Batman, he can exude menace with a few quiet words and frequently let his delivery suggest the pain he can inflict. That gives him the ideal combination of elements to portray Feyd-Rautha, and — with Pattinson nearly a decade older than Timothee Chalamet, who plays Paul — he’d possess the seeming age and experience to make an especially formidable opponent.
Villeneuve doubtless has his own ideas for the character, and they might differ from what Pattinson can bring. Nor is that the only role in the upcoming sequel that the actor could effectively play. But the synergy of his desires and the needs of the second Dune film point to an obvious connection. And having played such an iconic hero so well, doing the same thing with a memorable villain would make an ideal follow-up for an actor whose career may be reaching new heights.
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