Austin Butler, the actor who earned an Oscar nomination for his portrayal of Elvis Presley in Baz Luhrmann’s biopic, is set to play one of the most anticipated characters in the upcoming sci-fi epic ‘Dune: Part Two’. Butler will take on the role of Feyd-Rautha, the ruthless and ambitious nephew of the villainous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, who seeks to overthrow the Emperor and destroy the hero Paul Atreides.

In an recent interview , Butler opened up about his intense training for the role, which involved learning a martial art called Kali, a Filipino fighting style that uses sticks, knives, and other weapons. Austin Butler said that he and his co-star Timothée Chalamet, who plays Paul, trained together for months to prepare for their climactic duel in the film.

Kali training of Austin Butler

“We did a lot of Kali, which is a Filipino martial art. It’s very fast and very brutal. It involves a lot of sticks and knives and swords. It’s very fun to learn, but also very challenging,” Butler said. “We had a great stunt team that taught us everything. They were very patient and very supportive.”

Austin Butler said that he and Chalamet became close friends during the training, and that they pushed each other to improve their skills. “We had a lot of fun together. We would joke around and tease each other, but also motivate each other. We wanted to make the fight as realistic and as exciting as possible. We wanted to do justice to the book and to the fans,” he said.

Austin Butler also praised Chalamet’s performance as Paul, saying that he was “blown away” by his talent and charisma. “He’s such a phenomenal actor. He brings so much depth and emotion to the role. He’s also very charming and very likable. He’s the perfect Paul,” he said.

Method acting

Austin Butler, who is known for his method acting approach, said that he decided to scale back his immersion for ‘Dune: Part Two’, after experiencing some health issues and personal difficulties following his role as Elvis. He said that he realized that staying in character as Feyd-Rautha would be “unhealthy” for himself and for his family and friends.

“I’ve definitely in the past, with Elvis, explored living within that world for three years and that being the only thing that I think about day and night,” he told the Los Angeles Times. “With Feyd, I knew that that would be unhealthy for my family and friends.”

Austin Butler said that he “made a conscious decision to have a boundary” between his work and his personal life, and that he felt more “freedom” and “creativity” as a result. “It allowed for more freedom between action and cut because I knew I was going to protect everybody else outside of the context of what we were doing,” he said.

Dune: Part Two

‘Dune: Part Two’ is the second installment of Denis Villeneuve’s adaptation of Frank Herbert’s classic novel, which tells the story of a galactic struggle for the control of a desert planet called Arrakis, the only source of a precious substance called spice. The first part, which was released in 2021, received critical acclaim and six Oscars, including best picture.

The second part will continue the story of Paul Atreides, the young heir of House Atreides, who joins forces with the native people of Arrakis, the Fremen, to fight against the oppressive forces of House Harkonnen and the Emperor. The film will also introduce new characters, such as Princess Irulan, the Emperor’s daughter, played by Florence Pugh, and Lady Margot Fenring, a Bene Gesserit spy, played by Léa Seydoux.

Austin Butler said that he was honored to be part of the cast, and that he was a fan of the book and the director. “I’ve always loved Dune. It’s such a rich and complex story. It has so many layers and themes. It’s very relevant to our times,” he said. “And Denis is a genius. He’s one of the best filmmakers of our generation. He has such a vision and such a passion. He’s a master of his craft.”

Butler also said that he was excited for the fans to see the film, and that he hoped that they would enjoy his portrayal of Feyd-Rautha. “He’s a very interesting character. He’s very charismatic and very intelligent, but also very cruel and very manipulative. He’s a great contrast to Paul. He’s a worthy adversary,” he said. “I hope that the fans will love to hate him.”

Dune: Part Two’ will be released on March 1, 2024, in theaters and on HBO Max.