The chilling younger Harkonnen is here.
Warning: Spoilers ahead for Dune: Part Two.
As Dune: Part Two hits screens, we’ve finally been introduced to Austin Butler‘s Feyd-Rautha, the terrifying new member of the Harkonnen clan.
It’s a very different role for Butler, who is best known for his performance as Elvis, but it’s safe to say he’s absolutely crushed it as he joins the cast alongside Timothée Chalamet (Paul), Zendaya (Chani), Rebecca Ferguson (Lady Jessica Atreides), Florence Pugh (Princess Irulan) and Christopher Walken (Emperor Shaddam).
The actor is chilling as the psychotic Na-Baron clawing for power, going up against his on-screen brother, Glossu Rabban Harkonnen (Dave Bautista), and his unhinged uncle, Baron Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgard).
Here’s everything you need to know about Butler’s terrifying Feyd-Rautha.
Who is Feyd-Rautha in Dune: Part Two? Austin Butler character explained
Feyd-Rautha is the youngest nephew of Baron Harkonnen, and his heir.
He’s a merciless fighter and a charismatic figure in the Harkonnen household. However, it’s clear he only cares about his own interests.
Throughout the film, we see his violence and his merciless nature – particularly when it comes to his treatment of his older brother.
In the film, he’s actually more animalistic and violent than in the book, with Butler and director Denis Villeneuve working together on that portrayal.
The final scenes of the film see Feyd-Rautha finally coming face to face with Paul in a mesmerising stand-off.
Feyd-Rautha and his brother are the legal sons of Abulurd Rabban, who renounced the Harkonnen name.
When it came to casting the villain, the nephew and heir to Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Skarsgård), director Villeneuve knew the type of person he wanted to step into the role.
In an exclusive interview with RadioTimes.com, Villeneuve explained he “needed a fearless actor” to portray Feyd-Rautha.
“Someone that will be willing to go just close to… not too far but just close to it,” he explained.
“Someone that will not be judging himself; someone that will love to take risks. And someone that, of course, will have the necessary charisma – I needed an actor with a lot of sex appeal.
“I needed a playboy, I needed someone that… I needed a rockstar, and we’ve seen Austin has done that in his previous role.”
Are Paul and Feyd-Rautha related in Dune: Part Two?
During the course of the film, it’s revealed that Lady Jessica, Paul’s mother, is a secret daughter of Baron Harkonnen, meaning that he’s actually a part of the clan he hates so much.
It means that Paul’s mother and Feyd-Rautha are cousins – and Paul refers to him as such when they come face to face.
However, Paul uses this revelation to his advantage, telling his mother that in order to win, they must think like Harkonnens.
Who is Feyd-Rautha actor Austin Butler?
Butler first rose to fame in various Disney Channel movies and series, before appearing in the film Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood and receiving worldwide acclaim for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis.
Since, Butler has starred in Masters of the Air on Apple TV+.
Speaking about his casting as Feyd-Rautha, Butler told the LA Times: “It was about finding the brutality and making him as vicious as possible. I spent a lot of time daydreaming about what it would be like to grow up in that environment, with the Baron as your father figure.
“Learning about cultures throughout time that have had this brutality brought it to a human place where I realised: I’m not just playing someone you can write off as psychotic and evil. I had to see through his eyes.”