{"id":46911,"date":"2024-03-01T09:00:45","date_gmt":"2024-03-01T08:00:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1998561"},"modified":"2024-03-01T09:45:10","modified_gmt":"2024-03-01T08:45:10","slug":"who-is-princess-irulan-corrino-in-dune-part-two-florence-pugh-character-explained","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/who-is-princess-irulan-corrino-in-dune-part-two-florence-pugh-character-explained\/","title":{"rendered":"Who is Princess Irulan Corrino in Dune: Part Two? Florence Pugh character explained"},"content":{"rendered":"

Princess Irulan has arrived! <\/p>

By Louise Griffin\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Friday, 01 March 2024 at 08:00 AM<\/p>

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Warning: Spoilers for Dune: Part Two ahead.<\/strong><\/p>\n

As Dune: Part Two<\/a> finally arrives, we\u2019ve welcomed new characters<\/a> to the fold \u2013 including Florence Pugh\u2019s Princess Irulan.<\/p>\n

The second instalment from director Denis Villeneuve returns to Arrakis, and once again follows Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet\u2019s Paul Atreides as he attempts to win the trust of the Fremen.<\/p>\n

Alongside returning stars including Chalamet, Zendaya (Chani) and Rebecca Ferguson<\/a> (Lady Jessica Atreides), the movie welcomes incredible newcomers like Pugh, who is mesmerising as the intelligent and calculating princess, and her on-screen father Christopher Walken (Emperor Shaddam IV).<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s everything you need to know about Pugh\u2019s Princess Irulan \u2013 including her bigger role in the novels<\/a> and (hopefully) films to come.<\/p>\n

Who is Princess Irulan Corrino in Dune: Part Two? Florence Pugh character explained<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Princess Irulan Corrino is the eldest daughter of Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV<\/strong> and throughout the movie, she advises her father about what\u2019s happening on Arrakis \u2013 and the best way to keep him on the throne.<\/p>\n

She even goes so far as to encourage her father to let war break out so he can be seen as a saviour.<\/p>\n

Towards the end of the film, when Paul defeats the Emperor\u2019s champion, Austin Butler\u2019s Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen<\/a>, in a duel, he demands Irulan\u2019s hand in marriage despite his love for Chani.<\/p>\n

Irulan agrees to the union on the condition that her father is spared, although, at this point, she is unaware of Paul and Chani\u2019s relationship.<\/p>\n

\"Florence\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan Corrino in Dune: Part Two.<\/span><\/figcaption> Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Irulan is also a Bene Gesserit of Hidden Rank, although unfortunately this is only briefly visited in the film through her relationship with Reverend Mother Gaius Helen Mohiam (Charlotte Rampling).<\/p>\n

In the books, the Bene Gesserit aim to use Irulan as a spy against her father.<\/p>\n

Throughout the film, Irulan is also shown keeping diaries and documenting the events on Arrakis, as well as any communications she and the Emperor receive.<\/p>\n

This is a glorious nod to her greater role in the novels, which see her documenting Paul\u2019s rise to the Imperial Throne through written works (with each chapter of the novel including an epigraph from her later works).<\/p>\n

Another well-considered element is Pugh\u2019s role as a kind of narrator in Dune: Part Two \u2013 which is also a nod to her role as a narrator in the novels.<\/p>\n

\"Florence\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Florence Pugh as Princess Irulan Corrino in Dune: Part Two.<\/span><\/figcaption> Niko Tavernise\/Warner Bros<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Although Princess Irulan is only introduced late into the first of Frank Herbert\u2019s novels, she has a big role to play in the following books, Dune Messiah and Children of Dune.<\/p>\n

Excitingly, Villeneuve recently confirmed that this will be the case in the films, too, if he\u2019s able to make Dune Messiah, recently telling RadioTimes.com<\/a>: \u201cOne thing that was important for me is that the audience will never perceive Irulan as a victim, and I needed an actress that would be able to convey tremendous amounts of information with no lines and just her eyes. And Florence<\/span> is one of the best actresses of her generation.<\/p>\n

\u201cI approached her saying to her that Irulan will have the same journey from Part Two to the next movie than Chani from Part One to Part Two.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Part One, we barely saw Chani. She was just, like, a ghost, a dream, and she was introduced at the end of the Part One. And then she became one of the main characters of Part Two, and it will be the same for Irulan.\u201d<\/p>\n

Why does Paul Atreides want to marry Princess Irulan?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Timothee\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Timoth\u00e9e Chalamet as Paul Atreides in Dune: Part Two.<\/span><\/figcaption> Warner Bros Pictures<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Despite Paul and Chani\u2019s love story throughout Dune: Part Two, the film ends with a heartbreaking moment when Paul demands Irulan\u2019s hand in marriage.<\/p>\n

However, earlier in the film, we see Paul promising that he will love Chani until his last breath.<\/p>\n

He wants to marry Irulan purely for political reasons \u2013 to secure his place on the Imperial Throne after usurping Padishah Emperor Shaddam, and to keep peace.<\/p>\n

Since Shaddam had expected Irulan to take over as Empress after his death, her union with Paul makes sense to smooth over the transition.<\/p>\n

However, this union was not for love \u2013 at least not on Paul\u2019s side \u2013 and he only intends for Chani to bear his children.<\/p>\n

While Irulan is unaware of Chani when she agrees to marry Paul, there\u2019s a beautiful moment towards the end of the film \u2013 a glance between Pugh and Zendaya \u2013 which suggests that Irulan is quickly realising there\u2019s more to their relationship than she may have initially known.<\/p>\n

Who is Princess Irulan actress Florence Pugh?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Florence\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Florence Pugh.<\/span><\/figcaption> Emma McIntyre\/WireImage<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

Pugh has already had an illustrious career across film, with some of her most famous roles being Dani in Midsommar, Amy March in Little Women, Yelena Belova in Black Widow\/the MCU, Alice in Don\u2019t Worry Darling and Jean Tatlock in Oppenheimer.<\/p>\n

Previously chatting about taking on the role of Princess Irulan, Pugh told SFX<\/a>: \u201cIt\u2019s funny, I was asked this morning, \u2018Is she like any of the other feisty characters that I\u2019ve played before?\u2019<\/p>

\u201cWhilst she may be internally, I think she\u2019s probably one of the quietest characters I\u2019ve ever played. She is someone that is constantly listening, and always learning, and that was something that I was so excited [about] when I was reading the script.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always acknowledged that she was always aware, maybe when other people weren\u2019t aware, that she was recording probably internally what was going on. She\u2019s calculated.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read more:<\/strong><\/p>\n