Dave Bautista Explains Why Dune 2 Will Be Way More Intense Than The First Film

When he released "Dune," Denis Villeneuve was attempting something long considered impossible. The novel of the same name by Frank Herbert had long been considered unadaptable, despite a strong attempt by David Lynch in 1984. But with stunning visuals, an otherworldly score by Hans Zimmer, and a stellar cast that centered young heartthrob Timothée Chalamet as Paul Atreides, Villeneuve proved once again that he's among the foremost science-fiction directors of our time. Chalamet was joined by Zendaya, Josh Brolin, and Dave Bautista, the latter of whom Villeneuve previously worked with on "Blade Runner 2049."

Within the franchise, Bautista plays Beast Rabban Harkonnen, nephew of the murderous Baron Vladimir Harkonnen (Stellan Skarsgård), whose charge of the planet Arrakis is usurped by House Atreides at the command of Emperor Shaddam as the Emperor attempts to engineer a war between the two Houses. While Bautista wasn't given much to do as Rabban in the first film, he will likely play a much more pivotal role in "Dune: Part Two" as Paul Atreides rises among the native Fremen to become the mythical Muad'Dib. Though not the most intelligent, Rabban is a brutal warrior who more than makes up for his mental shortcomings with sheer intimidating force. And in the upcoming "Dune: Part Two," we can expect to see a lot more of that physical strength, with a greatly expanded part for Bautista.

For his part, Bautista thinks the second "Dune" installment will be far more intense than the first, as he explained in a recent interview.

Speaking with Collider regarding what audiences can expect from "Dune: Part Two," Dave Bautista promised a much more heightened experience as the stakes are raised for the denizens of Arrakis, calling it an improvement in every regard over the first installment. "This is so amped up from the first film," the exiting MCU star said. "The first film was just an introduction to what this film is."

Frank Herbert's original text is a political jeremiad transposed onto the cosmos. But whereas Villeneuve's first "Dune" movie had a lot of heavy lifting to do — establishing the lore of this otherworldly empire, setting up a cavalcade of colorful characters, and fleshing out the setting of Arrakis — "Dune: Part Two" will have the luxury of being able to dive right into the story, assuming audiences have already seen its predecessor. Bautista said, "There's just so much going on. It's so much more cutthroat and political and intense."

But Bautista assured that the movie won't be nonstop grimness and swordplay, saying there will be plenty of moments to ease the tension. "There are moments of levity," he said, "some funny moments, and they're kind of absurd humor, but there are those moments." In his best-known role as Drax in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Bautista has excelled at delivering humor while playing a similarly beefy brawler, and recently played to similar type in Netflix's "Glass Onion," so perhaps he was secretly one of the best casting choices for the "Dune" franchise.

"Dune: Part Two" is currently slated for release on November 3, 2023, to theaters for an exclusive 45-day window (via Collider), before landing on HBO Max.