Summary
- Tim Blake Nelson’s role in Dune 2 has not been revealed yet, sparking speculation on who he will portray in the film.
- Count Hasimir Fenring is a popular theory for Nelson’s character, as he is a crucial imperial agent and advisor with a dangerous reputation.
- Nelson’s role is believed to be a cameo rather than a starring role, potentially hinting at a larger role in the third film, Dune Messiah.
Since Warner Bros. revealed that Tim Blake Nelson is part of the cast of Denis Villeneuve’s Dune: Part Two, it’s worth wondering about the identity of his character. Of course, there’s plenty of time for Nelson’s role to be revealed ahead of the film’s premiere, especially considering Dune 2‘s strike-related release delay. While the 2021 film set the stage for Paul Atreides’ (Timothée Chalamet) journey, Dune 2 brings the fight for Arrakis — and the all-important spice it harbors – to an exciting climax.
Of course, Tim Blake Nelson isn’t Villeneuve’s only new recruit of note, as Dune 2‘s new and returning characters are numerous. While Chalamet, Zendaya, Rebecca Feguson, and others from the first film are set to return, they’ll also be joined by several new additions, including Oscar nominees Florence Pugh and Austin Butler, who will play Princess Irulan and Feyd-Rautha Harkonnen respectively. Although most of the sequel film’s fresh faces have had their parts revealed, Nelson’s role is still undisclosed, driving speculation over which character The Ballad of Buster Scruggs actor would best bring to life.
Tim Blake Nelson’s Dune 2 Character Could Be Count Hasimir Fenring
Popular theories suggest that Tim Blake Nelson will play Count Hasimir Fenring in Dune 2. Previously, the role was brought to life on screen by Miroslav Táborský in the three-part TV miniseries Frank Herbert’s Dune. While Fenring appears in Herbert’s original novel, the character plays a more crucial role in other series’ installments, including the Prelude to Dune trilogy. In part, this is because Fenring is the “one real friend” of Padishah Emperor Shaddam IV. Partially thanks to his wife, the Bene Gesserit Lady Margot, Fenring is a capable, acutely aware fighter, making him a crucial imperial agent and advisor. In fact, even Baron Vladimir Harkonnen is wary of Fenring, whom he calls, “a killer with the manners of a rabbit… the most dangerous kind.“
For quite some time, Fenring serves as the Emperor’s ambassador on Arrakis, and even facilitates the transfer of power on the desert planet between the warring houses of Harkonnen and Atreides. Interestingly, Lady Margot also lets her husband in on some of the specifics of the Bene Gesserit breeding program — a scheme that allows the order to exert control over the universe. At one point, Paul notes that Fenring is “one of the might-have-beens, an almost Kwisatz Haderach.” That is, Fenring had the potential to be a male Bene Gesserit capable of unlocking the memories of all the order’s ancestors. Instead, he merely oversees (and aids) the plans of both the Bene Gesserit and Shaddam IV.
Other Dune Characters Tim Blake Nelson Could Play
In Dune 2, Christopher Walken plays Shaddam IV, Padishah Emperor of the Known Universe, while Léa Seydoux (No Time To Die) portrays Lady Margot. Although David Lynch cut both Lady Margot and Count Hasimir Fenring from his 1984 adaptation of Dune, it seems safe to say that Lady Margot ought to be accompanied by her on-screen spouse. Even so, that doesn’t mean Tim Blake Nelson is playing Fenring in Dune 2. With Villeneuve intent on keeping Nelson’s role under wraps, the secrecy might indicate the actor is playing an even more crucial role. For a while, Villeneuve has talked about making a trilogy of Dune films, with the third adapting Dune Messiah, the direct sequel to Herbert’s original novel.
Already Florence Pugh’s Dune 2 character indicates Dune 3‘s inevitability, and the confidential nature of Nelson’s role adds more fuel to the Dune Messiah fire. During an appearance on Marc Maron’s WTF Podcast, Nelson confirms that his upcoming Dune role is a “cameo,” not a starring role (via Cinema Solace), which further adds to this speculation. In Dune Messiah, the shapeshifter Scytale is a crucial part of a conspiracy against Paul. In fact, the Bene Tleilax – an order whose members resurrect the dead – even conjures a clone of the late Duncan Idaho (Jason Momoa), Duke Leto’s right-hand man, in order to trick Paul. While it’s more likely that Tim Blake Nelson plays Fenring in Dune 2, there’s an outside chance a cameo as Scytale would tease Dune Messiah.
Sources: WTF Podcast via Cinema Solace